GOLF

BADDELEY OUTLASTS FURYK FOR VERIZON HERITAGE TITLE Aaron Baddeley won the Verizon Heritage in Hilton Head, S.C., for his first PGA Tour title yesterday, rallying with two late birdies and finishing off Jim Furyk with a scrambling par on Harbour Town’s lighthouse closing hole. Baddeley was tied with Furyk entering the round, had a two-shot lead by the fifth hole, then was down by that many to Furyk after no. 11.

But the 25-year-old Australian proved unflappable, birdieing two of the hardest holes on the PGA Tour – the 14th was statistically the hardest par-3 on tour last year and the 15th was the hardest par 5 – to move in front for good.

Baddeley shot a 1-under 70 to finish at 15 under, a stroke ahead of Furyk (71) and two ahead of Vaughn Taylor (66) and Billy Mayfair (69). Ernie Els’s 71 left him tied for seventh at 10-under, his sixth top-10 finish in eight visits to Harbour Town.

Baddeley won $954,000 and, perhaps more importantly because he was ranked 158th on the money list coming in, gained a tour exemption through 2008.

TENNIS

FISH DOWNS MELZER FOR U.S. CLAY COURT TITLE Unseeded Mardy Fish rallied from a set down to beat Jurgen Melzer 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 and win the U.S. Clay Court Championship title yesterday. Melzer netted a high, easy backhand volley on match point and the American fell to the ground along the baseline and lay on his back in jubilation following his second tour victory. Fish collected $52,000 for the title, Fish’s first on clay. His only other tour win came three years ago in Stockholm.

Melzer has been in the semifinals here in two of the last three years. Fish, who is coming off of two wrist operations in 2005, started the week ranked 212 and was projected to jump to no. 120 when the new numbers are released today. He reached quarterfinals here when Ranier Schuettler of Germany defaulted with a stomach ailment, then made the final when fifth-seeded Tommy Haas retired after five games because of pain in his right wrist.

PETROVA STREAKS THROUGH TO FAMILY CIRCLE CUP Nadia Petrova defeated Patty Schnyder 6-3, 4-6, 6-1 to win the Family Circle Cup yesterday for her second straight tournament victory. Petrova, who won last week at Amelia Island, now has four tour victories, all in the last six months. Her first came last October at Linz, Austria, when she also defeated Schnyder. Petrova also won last month at Doha.

By making the final at the Family Circle, Petrova will improve two spots to her highest ranking at no. 5 in the world. The Russian’s previous high was no. 6 last year.

Schnyder, ranked ninth in the world, was making her 10th straight appearance at the Family Circle Cup.The 27-year-old from Switzerland was also the runner-up four years ago when she lost to Iva Majoli.

On Saturday, Schnyder handed Justine Henin-Hardenne her first loss at the Family Circle Cup. Before Schnyder’s 2-6, 6-3, 6-2 victory in the semifinals, Henin-Hardenne had won 14 straight matches.

– Associated Press