GOLF
Kuchar blows lead
Matt Kuchar's ball crashed into the rocks at the foot of the Santa Rosa Mountains and shot sideways into the All-American Canal. More rocks and water gobbled up another ball -- and with it, his third-round lead on Saturday in the Humana Challenge at La Quinta, Calif. Two strokes ahead after a birdie on the par-5 14th, Kuchar bogeyed three of the final four holes for a 1-under 71 on PGA West's Arnold Palmer Private Course. That left him a shot behind two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton, Bill Haas, Justin Thomas and Michael Putnam. The highest-ranked player in the field at No. 11, Kuchar lost a shot on the par-3 15th when he drove to the right, sent his second to the back edge and missed a 14-footer. He bogeyed the par-3 17th after his tee shot went right, bounced off the mountain rocks and raced across the green into the canal. The seven-time tour winner closed with another rocky bogey, ending his birdie-eagle string on the par 5s. On the first 12 pars 5 of the week, he had an eagle and 11 birdies. Compton shot a 67 on the Jack Nicklaus Private Course to join Haas, Thomas and Putnam at 17-under 199. Haas, the 2010 winner, had a 69 on the Nicklaus layout. Thomas shot 68 on the Palmer course, and Putnam had a 69 at La Quinta Country Club. Ryan Palmer, Scott Pinckney and Steve Wheatcroft were a stroke back along with Kuchar. Palmer followed his 61 on Friday on the Nicklaus course with a 68 on the Palmer layout. Wheatcroft had a 68 on the Nicklaus course, and Pinckney shot 69 in the Palmer. Defending champion Patrick Reed, paired with Kuchar, was tied for ninth at 14 under after a 67. He's coming off a playoff victory two weeks ago in Hawaii in the Tournament of Champions. Phil Mickelson was 11 under in his first start since the Ryder Cup in September. He had eight birdies and four bogeys in a 68 on the Palmer course.
• Branden Grace made a decisive eagle on the 16th to win the Qatar Masters on Saturday by one stroke and clinch his sixth European Tour title. The South African shot a final round 6-under 66 for an overall 19-under 269 to hold off runner-up Marc Warren (67) of Scotland. Bernd Wiesberger's two bogeys on the second and third holes proved costly as the Austrian settled for third place at 17 under. Grace has now won all six European Tour events which he has been leading or sharing the lead going into the final round. It was his second victory of the 2015 Race to Dubai after winning the Alfred Dunhill Championship at home. Going into the final round, Grace and Warren were tied for the lead with Emiliano Grillo of Argentina and Wiesberger. But France's Gregory Bourdy mounted the challenge by firing in six birdies on the first nine holes before he slipped with a bogey on the 15th for a 7-under 65. Korea's Byeong-Hun An shot 65 but missed a crucial birdie on the last hole to miss out. Eddie Pepperell's back-nine 32 gave the Englishman fourth place after a 67. An, Bourdy and Grillo (70) were tied for fifth on 15 under.
FOOTBALL
Kiffin back at 'Bama
Lane Kiffin says he's coming back to Alabama for a second season as offensive coordinator. Kiffin had reportedly been a candidate to become offensive coordinator for the San Francisco 49ers. He and Coach Nick Saban issued statements announcing the news. Kiffin says he wanted "to reaffirm my commitment to the University of Alabama, coach Saban, and our team." The former head coach of the Oakland Raiders, Southern California and Tennessee led Alabama to a school-record for total yards in his first season with a new quarterback in Blake Sims. Alabama lost to Ohio State in a national semifinal game. Kiffin and Saban initially seemed like a potentially combustible pairing. Saban calls him "one of the finest offensive coaches in the country." He says he wants Kiffin to continue developing so when he does leave "he'll be in a very good situation."
• The New York Jets have hired former linebacker Pepper Johnson as their defensive line coach. Johnson worked in the same role last season with Buffalo, but was replaced by Karl Dunbar who followed coach Rex Ryan from the Jets to the Bills. Johnson recently interviewed with the Giants for their defensive coordinator vacancy, which went to Steve Spagnuolo. Johnson played 13 seasons in the NFL, including seven with the Giants. He also spent time with Cleveland and Detroit before ending his career with the Jets from 1997-98 under Bill Parcells. He was an assistant under Bill Belichick for 14 seasons in New England after his playing career ended. With the Jets, Johnson inherits one of the league's top defensive lines, led by Muhammad Wilkerson and Sheldon Richardson.
HOCKEY
All-Stars compete
Ryan Johansen of the hometown Columbus Blue Jackets pulled a kid out of the stands and guided him to a goal to win the breakaway challenge, and Nashville's Shea Weber fired the hardest shot with a 108.5-mph blast at the NHL All-Stars skills competition on Saturday night. Weber missed the net on his first attempt but made up for that with a shot second only to five-time winner Zdeno Chara's 108.8-mph drive in 2012. The team captained by Blue Jackets forward Nick Foligno defeated one led by Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews, 25-19. Patrick Kane of the Blackhawks had the fastest time in the accuracy shooting, and Tampa Bay's Jonathan Drouin was the fastest skater. Team Foligno will meet Team Toews today in the 60th All-Star game. Washington Capitals star Alexander Ovechkin led the hardest-shot competition with a pair of 101.4 mph drives. But Weber stepped into his final shot to win the event. In the fastest skater event, in which players were paired off and raced around the perimeter of the rink against the clock, Team Foligno went 5-0 -- winning all four races and pocketing an extra point for Tampa Bay's Jonathan Drouin posting the fastest time of 13.103 seconds.
Sports on 01/25/2015