Price Beats Simpson in Golf Playoff

Nick Price of Zimbabwe beat Scott Simpson in a playoff to win the rain-delayed Southwestern Bell Colonial golf tournament Monday at Ft. Worth, Tex.

Price’s eight-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole at the Colonial Country club capped a comeback from a seven-shot deficit in the final round.

Price had five holes to play and Simpson seven when thunderstorms forced suspension of play Sunday. Price, after birdies on the last three holes he played before the suspension, was two strokes back of Simpson.

Returning Monday, Simpson parred in, finishing off a no-birdie round of 71 for a 266 total. Price birdied the first two holes he played Monday on his way to a final-round 64.

*

Masters champion Jose Maria Olazabal made up a three-stroke deficit in the final round with five birdies on the last eight holes to win the European PGA Championship at Virginia Water, England. The Spaniard shot a seven-under 65 on Wentworth’s West Course to finish at 271, 17 under.

Seve Ballesteros, who had a final round 68 to finish six strokes back of Olazabal, said he had changed his mind and would not try to pre-qualify for the June 16-19 U.S. Open. “I feel I deserve an invitation after so many years,” he said.

Horse Racing

Holy Bull, the badly beaten favorite in the Kentucky Derby, showed up his elders in the Metropolitan Handicap at New York’s Belmont Park. The gray colt, ridden by Mike Smith, dazzled a Memorial Day crowd of 26,721 by leading every step of the way.

Owner-trainer Jimmy Croll said he is undecided if Holy Bull will run in the Belmont Stakes June 11.

In the race before the Metropolitan, Sea Hero, the 1993 Kentucky Derby winner, finished second to Fourstars Allstar in the D-Day Remembrance Purse on the grass. Sea Hero won an allowance race on dirt in his previous start. . . Soviet Problem won the $150,000 Oakland Handicap at Golden Gate Fields. The 4-year-old filly covered the six furlongs on a fast track in 1:08 3/5. Gundaghia was second and Arches of Gold third.

Miscellany

Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski has scheduled a news conference for this morning that should settle rumors about whether he plans to leave the Blue Devils for the NBA. Krzyzewski met Monday with Tom Butters, athletic director, and Nan Keohane, school president.

As expected, former Trojan and Raider quarterback Todd Marinovich signed with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Cal Murphy, the team’s coach and general manager, said he believes the quarterback’s personal problems have been put to rest.

Robin Levine foiled Michelle Gould’s bid for an unprecedented sixth successive women’s open title at the American Amateur Racquetball Assn.’s National Singles Championships at Houston, beating Gould, 9-15, 15-11, 11-9. In the men’s final, Mike Bronfeld defeated John Ellis, 9-15, 15-8, 11-2.

Cypress (43-11) won its second community college state baseball title in four seasons by sweeping Rancho Santiago (40-13) at Cerritos College, 5-3 in 14 innings and 8-5.