Cristie Kerr gets second LPGA State Farm win

Cristie Kerr won the rain-delayed LPGA State Farm Classic by one shot over Anna Nordqvist and Na Yeon Choi on Monday.

The final round of the event at Springfield, Ill., was played a day late because of weekend rain interrupting play. Kerr fought off flu symptoms and late challenges from Nordqvist and Choi, shooting a three-under-par 69 in the final round to finish at 22-under 266 at Panther Creek Country Club.

Kerr had a two-shot lead heading to the final hole, so a bogey on the final hole gave her the one-shot victory. It is her second State Farm Classic win, and she becomes the first American to win on the LPGA Tour since Michelle Wie won the Lorena Ochoa Invitational last November.

MOTOR RACING

Dixon wins in top fuel

Larry Dixon raced to his sixth top-fuel victory of the season at the rain-delayed NHRA SuperNationals at Englishtown, N.J.

Bob Tasca, Mike Edwards and Michael Phillips also won their divisions in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park.

Tasca won in funny car, Edwards in pro stock and Phillips in pro stock motorcycle.

ETC.

NHL’s Rob Blake to retire

San Jose Sharks captain Rob Blake is retiring from the NHL after a 20-year career as one of the league’s top defensemen.

Blake will make the retirement official at a news conference Friday, a person with knowledge of his plans told the Associated Press. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement has not been made.

Blake, 40, was one of the league’s best defensemen over his career with the Kings, Colorado and San Jose, making seven All-Star teams and winning the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman for the Kings in 1998. He played all or part of 14 seasons in Los Angeles.

WNBA star Candace Parker, who dislocated her left shoulder during the Sparks’ 88-84 win against the Minnesota Lynx on Sunday, will receive an MRI exam and X-rays this week as doctors determine whether surgery will be necessary. A Sparks spokesperson said the club is proceeding with caution since Parker initially injured the shoulder in Friday’s game against Seattle.

—Melissa Rohlin

Jeff Suppan is getting a second chance with the St. Louis Cardinals, a team that really could use an arm right now.

The Cardinals signed the 35-year-old Suppan on Monday and plan to start him Tuesday night against Seattle.

Suppan was cut by Milwaukee last week after going 0-2 with a 7.84 earned-run average.

Tennessee Titans quarterback Vince Young apologized to the Titans, his teammates, his family and fans for his role in a fight early Sunday at a Dallas strip club. Young, the 2005 Heisman Trophy runner-up at Texas, was issued a misdemeanor assault citation by police. He said he hoped Commissioner Roger Goodell wouldn’t come down hard on him with a suspension because he has owned up to his mistake.

Top-seeded Justine Henin made a successful return to grass after a three-year absence, beating Germany’s Angelique Kerber, 6-4, 6-2, in the first round of the UNICEF Open at Den Bosch, Netherlands.

Henin’s last match on the surface was a loss in the 2007 Wimbledon semifinals.