Mickelson Puts U.S. in Chase at World Cup

Phil Mickelson’s outstanding play has the United States back in contention in golf’s World Cup.

Mickelson and teammate David Toms tied a World Cup record with a 15-under-par 57 in the third round Saturday of the two-man team event at Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. Mickelson had 10 birdies and an eagle.

The Americans are at 27 under with one round remaining.

But it wasn’t enough to catch Japan’s Shigeki Maruyama and Toshi Izawa, who nearly matched the Americans and finished at 30 under after a round of 58 in the best-ball format.

Maruyama and Izawa had 12 birdies and an eagle, on the par-four 13th, where Izawa holed his second shot from 75 yards.

Fiji, with Vijay Singh and Dinesh Chand, was second at 29 under, and defending champion South Africa, with Rory Sabbatini and Tim Clark, was third at 28 under.

College Football

Curt Anes threw a 10-yard touchdown pass to David Kircus with 1:04 left to give Grand Valley State of Michigan (14-0) its first NCAA Division II title with a 31-24 victory over Valdosta (Ga.) State (14-1) at Florence, Ala.

In the Division I-AA semifinals, Western Kentucky (11-3) rallied for a 31-28 victory over Georgia Southern (11-3), and McNeese State (13-1) hung on for a 39-38 victory over Villanova (11-4).

Two-time defending champion Mount Union of Ohio (13-0) defeated John Carroll (12-2), 57-19, and Trinity of Texas (14-0) defeated St. John’s of Minnesota (12-2), 41-35, in the Division III semifinals. Mount Union has won 41 in a row.

Bruce Eugene threw for 413 yards and three touchdowns, and Grambling State (11-2) won the Southwestern Athletic Conference title a 31-19 victory over Alabama A&M; (8-4) at Birmingham, Ala.

Winter Sports

Toby Dawson and Shannon Bahrke gave the U.S. a sweep of the men’s and women’s moguls finals, respectively, in a freestyle World Cup meet at Madonna di Campiglio, Italy....Stephan Eberharter won his third consecutive World Cup downhill race and led a 1-2-3 Austrian sweep at Val d’Isere, France.

Miscellany

High winds off Auckland, New Zealand, today forced the postponement of the America’s Cup challenger series semifinals for the third consecutive day.

The Long Beach Ice Dogs lost to the Idaho Steelheads, 8-2, in a West Coast Hockey League game at Boise, Idaho.

Passings

Frank Warren, a defensive lineman for the New Orleans Saints for 13 years, died of a heart attack in his home at Birmingham, Ala. He was 43.

Welton Brown, who coached the women’s basketball team at Southern Methodist from 1977-91, has died. He was 57.