Frazar shoots 59 in PGA qualifying

Harrison Frazar shot a 59 on Saturday in the fourth round of the PGA Tour qualifying tournament at La Quinta, the first player in eight years to hit golf’s magic number at Q-school.

Frazar, winless in 300 starts on the PGA Tour, ran off seven consecutive birdies on the back nine of the Nicklaus Tournament course at PGA West and closed with a par.

The last player to shoot 59 at Q-school was David Gossett in 2000, and he failed to earn his card. Frazar is at 24-under 264 and leading by four shots with two rounds to go.

It will not count in the PGA record books because the tournament is not an official event. Al Geiberger, Chip Beck and David Duval are the only players with a 59 in official play. Annika Sorenstam also did it on the LPGA Tour.

Michelle Wie saved par on three of her last four holes for a four-under 68 that left her one shot behind former NCAA champion Stacy Lewis in the LPGA qualifying tournament at Daytona Beach, Fla.

Wie was nine shots clear of the cutoff for the top 20 players to earn their cards.

BASEBALL

Alex Rodriguez to play for Dominican Republic

The New York Yankees’ Alex Rodriguez says he will play for the Dominican Republic in the 2009 World Baseball Classic.

Rodriguez played for the United States in the 2006 inaugural Classic and was criticized by fans in the Dominican Republic and across Latin America.

Rodriguez’s parents are from the Dominican Republic, and although he was born in the U.S., he is allowed to choose for which country he will play.

SOCCER

Galaxy wins exhibition game in New Zealand

David Beckham didn’t score, yet he dazzled a crowd of 20,000 New Zealanders in the Galaxy’s 3-0 exhibition win Saturday over Oceania XI at Auckland.

Beckham produced many of his trademark touches -- brilliant crosses or passes into the penalty area -- as the Galaxy won easily after scoring three goals in the first half. Beckham was eventually substituted, but his presence thrilled the near-capacity crowd.

Jovan Kirovski scored the Galaxy’s opening goal and Alan Gordon quickly made it 2-0. Midfielder Brandon McDonald made it 3-0 in the 30th minute, but Oceania XI, a team of players from the South Pacific, prevented the Galaxy from scoring again.

Liverpool maintained a one-point lead atop the Premier League by defeating Blackburn, 3-1, and second-place Chelsea overcame Bolton, 2-0, for a record 11th consecutive road victory.

Nemanja Vidic scored in injury time to give Manchester United a 1-0 win over Sunderland and keep it third ahead of Arsenal, which edged Wigan by the same score.

PRO FOOTBALL

Barber out; rookie to start for Cowboys

Injured Dallas Cowboys running back Marion Barber did not make the team’s trip to Pittsburgh for today’s game against the Steelers, meaning rookie Tashard Choice will make his first NFL start.

Running back Deuce McAllister and defensive end Will Smith rejoined the New Orleans Saints a day after a judge blocked their four-game suspensions under the NFL’s anti-doping policy. McAllister was uncertain how much he might play against the Atlanta Falcons today.

ETC.

USC water polo team advances to NCAA final

USC’s men’s water polo team defeated Navy, 14-9, at Palo Alto to advance to the NCAA title game today at 3 p.m. against Stanford, which defeated Loyola Marymount, 6-5. The Trojans, who are 28-0, will be making their fourth consecutive trip to the title match. . . . Jordan Hasay of Arroyo Grande and Chris Schwartz of Bakersfield won the Foot Locker Cross Country Championships West Regional at Mt. San Antonio College. Hasay won the West Regional for the fourth consecutive year, becoming the first to achieve that feat. . . . Aksel Lund Svindal won a World Cup super-G at Beaver Creek, Colo., a day after capturing the downhill title. . . . Champ Elysees, ridden by Jose Valdivia Jr., beat Obrigado by half a length to win the $250,000 Hollywood Turf Cup at Hollywood Park. Slew’s Tizzy won the $108,200 Native Diver Handicap, one of five winners on the day for jockey Joel Rosario.