GOLF

SINGH BEATS DALY IN PLAYOFF AT SHELL HOUSTON OPEN

Vijay Singh took advantage of John Daly’s errant tee shot on the first hole of a playoff yesterday to win the Shell Houston Open for the second straight year and third time in four years. Daly, who birdied the final two holes for a 5-under 67 match Singh at 13-under 275, sent his drive on the first extra hole, the par-4 18th, into the water. Then his second shot after a drop went over the green. Singh, who overcame putting problems to shoot a 70, calmly made a par for his 26th PGA Tour victory and second this year. The 42-year-old Fijian earned $900,000 to pass Tiger Woods for second place on the money list with $3,836,413, just $6,043 behind leader Phil Mickelson. Woods and Mickelson skipped the tournament.

SCOTT WINS JOHNNIE WALKER CLASSIC

Australia’s Adam Scott won the Johnnie Walker Classic yesterday, finishing with an even-par 72 for a three-stroke victory over South Africa’s Retief Goosen. Scott finished at 18-under 270 on the Pine Valley course in the event sanctioned by European, Asian, and Australasian tours. Goosen shot a 70.

TENNIS

U.S ADVANCES TO FED CUP SEMIFINALS

Lindsay Davenport and Venus Williams won in singles and the United States claimed the doubles match to sweep Belgium yesterday and advance to the semifinals of the Fed Cup. Top-ranked Davenport defeated Els Callens 6-4, 6-0 to put the U.S. team ahead 3-0 in the best-of-five quarterfinal. Williams followed by beating Leslie Butkiewicz, 6-1, 6-4, in the second match on Sunday, and Davenport and her partner, Corina Morariu, posted a 6-1, 6-2 win over Kirsten Flipkens and Eveline Vanhyfte to complete the sweep. The Americans advanced to the semifinals July 9-10 at Russia, a 4-1 winner at Italy. France will face Spain in the other semifinal. The French beat Austria 4-1 and Spain eliminated Argentina 3-2 in the other quarterfinals.

RODDICK CAPTURES U.S. CLAY COURT CHAMPIONSHIPS

Andy Roddick won his third title at the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championships with a dominant 6-2, 6-2 victory over no.6 Sebastien Grosjean of France yesterday in Houston. Appearing in the final of this $380,000 event for the fifth straight year, the 22-year-old American did not drop a set in all four of his matches en route to his first title on the red clay since 2002.

CYCLING

ARMSTRONG SETTLES FOR FIFTH IN TOUR DE GEORGIA

With his focus firmly on the Tour de France, Lance Armstrong was just another cyclist in the peloton yesterday, helping to ensure that a teammate won the Tour de Georgia. Tom Danielson was surrounded by his Discovery Channel mates as he maintained a 4-second advantage over Levi Leipheimer, content to cruise across the line behind stage winner Gord Fraser of Canada. Armstrong, wearing no. 1 on the back of his jersey, settled for 22nd place on the day and fifth overall. He was 1 minute, 42 seconds behind Danielson.

– Associated Press