Keselowski gets third win of year

Driving his backup car, Brad Keselowski raced to third NASCAR Sprint Cup win of the year, grabbing the lead with 55 laps remaining and holding off all challengers on Saturday at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta.

The 28-year-old picked up his seventh win in his five years on the circuit. He won earlier this year at Bristol and Talladega.

While registering his 16th career top-five finish, he ended a lull over the past four starts where he had failed to crack the top 10.

He was driving his backup car after slamming the right side of his top car into the wall following a collision with Juan Pablo Montoya during practice earlier in the week. That mishap took place on his very first lap on the track.

Kasey Kahne rode a late surge to second place, 4.399 seconds back. Denny Hamlin was third, Dale Earnhardt Jr. fourth and Jeff Gordon fifth. Hamlin announced a new agreement with Joe Gibbs Racing on his Twitter account just before the start.

ETC.

Daley, Calcavecchia in front

Playing in the final group for the third round of the Seniors Players Championship in Pittsburgh, relative unknown Joe Daley outplayed an ailing Fred Couples and held off a charging Tom Lehman.

It was another one of the tour’s biggest names who ended the day with a long putt to ensure Daley wouldn’t have sole possession of the lead as he searches for his first tour victory.

Mark Calcavecchia holed a 50-foot birdie putt on No. 18 for a six-under 64, moving him into a tie with Daley atop the leaderboard heading into the final round of the Senior Players Championship.

Second-round leader Fred Couples and Lehman were a stroke back.

Jamie Donaldson shot a three-under 69 to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Irish Open at Portrush, Northern Ireland, as Rory McIlroy finished six shots back.

Donaldson is one shot ahead of England’s Anthony Wall, with Padraig Harrington and Mark Foster another shot back at 10 under.

McIlroy improved 13 spots to tie for 11th with a 71.

Veronica Felibert shot a five-under 66 to stretch her lead to four strokes in the LPGA’s NW Arkansas Classic in Rogers.

The rookie from Venezuela continued her surprising run at Pinnacle Country Club, where she made the field as the second alternate. After missing the cuts in her previous three tournaments, she opened with a 65 on Friday to take a one-stroke lead. Mika Miyazato and Inbee Park were tied for second. Miyazato had a 65, and Park shot 68.

Kevin Marsh of Santa Barbara, 39, overcame an opponent nearly half his age to win the 101st California Amateur Championship, defeating Ben Geyer, 20, of Arbuckle 4 and 3 at La Cumbre Country Club in Santa Barbara. In the 36-hole final, Marsh carded an eagle and three birdies over a six-hole stretch in the morning round to take a 2-up lead that was never threatened.

Dwight Howard has told new Orlando Magic General Manager Rob Hennigan that he wants to be traded to the Brooklyn Nets, ESPN reported late Saturday. Magic spokesman Joel Glass confirmed that a meeting between Howard and Hennigan took place Friday in Southern California, but Glass would not disclose what was said at that meeting.

The Minnesota Timberwolves declined to make qualifying offers to forwards Michael Beasley and Anthony Randolph, making them both unrestricted free agents.