Two Late Birdies Help Lane Edge Frost to Win Golf’s Richest Prize

Barry Lane of England beat two opponents--David Frost and his own reputation for faltering under pressure--to win the $1-million first prize Sunday in the World Championship of Golf at Scottsdale, Ariz.

No more than three points separated the finalists during 36 holes of match play before Lane won, 2 up.

Lane, a five-time winner on the European PGA Tour who couldn’t qualify for the European Ryder Cup team because he faded in the the Scandinavian Masters and the Czech Open, saved his biggest shots for the last four holes.

He went 1 up with a six-foot birdie putt on the 33rd hole, made par-saving putts to halve the next two holes, then hit an approach shot inside Frost’s ball after Frost left himself a 15-foot putt for birdie on the final green.

Frost missed his putt by an inch, and Lane made a nine-footer for the final margin.

Frost got $500,000 of the $3.65 million purse, the sport’s richest.

Mark McCumber defeated Masahiro Kuramoto, 4 and 3, in the consolation round, earning $350,000 to Kuramoto’s $300,000.

Winter Sports

Moira D’Andrea of Saratoga Springs, N.Y., won the women’s title and KC Boutiette of Tacoma, Wash., took the men’s crown at the U.S. Allround Speedskating Championship at Milwaukee.

Oivind Berg of Norway unleashed the longest jump of the meet in the final round to win a Continental Cup jumping meet at the 1980 Olympic hill in Lake Placid, N.Y. Berg, 24, went 293 feet 8 inches and 326-5 for 244.0 points. Lucas Chevalier of France went 292-0 and 319-10 for 243.0 points to finish second.

Tennis

Marc Rosset overpowered Mark Philippoussis in straight sets as Switzerland opened its Hopman Cup campaign with a victory over Australia in Perth, Australia.

Martina Hingis defeated Nicole Bradtke, 6-7 (9-7), 6-3, 6-3, in the women’s singles and Rosset then sealed the victory with a 6-3, 6-3 triumph over Philippoussis.

Hockey

The United States avoided elimination from the World Junior Hockey Championships when Marty Reasoner scored with 4:28 remaining to give the U.S. team a 5-4 victory over Finland at Amherst, Mass.

With Canada defeating Ukraine, 8-1, the United States finished second in Pool A and advanced to the medal round. The Americans will play Sweden in today’s quarterfinals.

In other games, Sweden and the Czech Republic played to a scoreless tie, and Russia defeated Germany, 8-2.

Soccer

The 2006 World Cup will be played in Africa for the first time, FIFA president Joao Havelange told a Rio daily in an interview published in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

“Africa’s time has come,” Havelange told Jornal do Brasil.

The world soccer chief said he will make the announcement on his January trip to South Africa for the Cup of Nations.

Miscellany

Glen Edwards, a member of two Pittsburgh Steeler Super Bowl championship teams, was arrested on charges of drug violations and fighting with police in St. Petersburg, Fla. The 48-year-old former safety was accused Friday night of buying marijuana, possessing crack cocaine and resisting arrest. He was held in lieu of $12,500 bail at the Pinellas County Jail.

Anita DeFrantz, member of the International Olympic Committee Executive Board and head of the Los Angeles Amateur Athletic Foundation, was the highest-ranked female at No. 34 in The Sporting News’ annual list of the 100 Most Powerful People in Sports. Rupert Murdoch was ranked first.