Golf: Justin Rose will return to No. 1 ranking after winning in Turkey

Justin Rose defended his Turkish Airlines Open title on Sunday in Antalya, Turkey, to ensure he will return to the top of the world rankings.

Rose beat Haotong Li of China on the first playoff hole after the pair finished the final round tied on 17-under par at the Regnum Carya Resort.

Rose, 38, spent two weeks as world No. 1 earlier this season after finishing second in the BMW Championship, but a poor third round on Saturday appeared to have scuppered his chances of a return to the top of the rankings.

Starting the final round three shots behind Li, Rose stormed back with a front nine of 33 including a birdie on the 10th, which was enough for a share of the lead.

Li then bogeyed the 11th after missing the green with his approach and although he finally picked up his first birdie of the day on the par-5 12th, Rose did likewise to remain one ahead.

Rose struck what looked like the killer blow with a birdie on the 14th, but Li responded with a stunning approach to the par-5 15th to set up a tap-in eagle as Rose three-putted from long range for par.

An advantage for Rose after 16 was short-lived as he three-putted the 17th and Li appeared to have the upper hand on 18 when the No. 50-ranked player found the green in regulation after Rose’s approach came up short in a greenside bunker.

However, it was Li’s turn to three-putt from long range and Rose was left with a putt for the win after a superb bunker shot, only to miss from four feet. The players returned to the 18th for a sudden-death playoff and after Rose missed from 15 feet for birdie, Li amazingly three-putted from just nine feet to gift his opponent the title.

Hataoka wins LPGA’s Japan Classic

Local favorite Nasa Hataoka shot a 5-under 67 on Sunday to win the Japan Classic in Shiga for her second LPGA title of the season.

Hataoka offset a pair of bogeys with seven birdies at the Seta Golf Club to finish at 14-under 202, two strokes ahead of compatriots Momoka Ueda, Saki Nagamine and Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, who all shot 68.

The 19-year-old Hataoka also won the Arkansas Championship in June.

DeChambeau wins in Las Vegas for 4th win in 12 starts

Bryson DeChambeau holed an eagle putt from just inside 60 feet on the 16th hole that carried him to a 5-under 66 and a one-shot victory over Patrick Cantlay in the Shriners Hospital for Children Open on Sunday.

DeChambeau won for the fourth time in his last 12 starts on the PGA Tour and moved to No. 5 in the world ranking.

He had to survive a wild back nine at the TPC Summerlin in which four players had a share of the lead at some point. Cantlay, trying to become the first player to win back-to-back in Las Vegas in nearly 20 years, made a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-5 16th hole to take a one-shot lead. But from a bunker right of the green on the par-3 17th, Cantlay was fooled by the amount of sand under his ball and flubbed the shot.

One hole behind him, DeChambeau rolled in his long eagle putt from just off the green and celebrated with a big uppercut. Cantlay missed his long par putt, giving DeChambeau control of the tournament.

Cantlay birdied the 18th for a 65, but it wasn’t enough when DeChambeau played the final two holes conservatively for pars to finish at 21-under 263.

DeChambeau won for the third straight season, and fifth time overall on the PGA Tour.

The 25-year-old American began his big run with a playoff victory at the Memorial, and then won consecutive FedEx Cup playoff events in New Jersey and Boston. He said he was playing Las Vegas to shake off a little rust, and it turned into another victory.

“I was able to play some great golf,” DeChambeau said. “I’m happy to get it done.”