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GOLF

Sweden’s Jonas Blixt claims US PGA Tour title

Swedish golfer Jonas Blixt won his second US PGA Tour title on Sunday, outdueling four rivals in near darkness on Sunday to win the $6.3 million Greenbrier Classic by two strokes.

Sweden's Jonas Blixt claims US PGA Tour title

In a final round that was halted for more than three hours by a thunderstorm and ended in twilight gloom, Blixt fired a three-under par 67 for the third day in a row to finish on 13-under 267, his first top-10 PGA Tour finish of the year.

“It has been a bad year for me but I just pulled it off,” a tearful Blixt said. “I can’t believe it. I’m just really happy.”

Blixt, whose only prior PGA victory came at last year’s Frys.com Open, won the $1.13 million top prize and clinched a berth in next year’s Masters, a huge feat for a golfer who has never played in a major championship.

“A dream come true,” Blixt said. “I watched (the Masters) when I was a kid. I always wanted to play there. It’s a special place, almost like a religious experience to be there. To play there, I’ve just got no words for it.”

“It’s so many dreams come true. It’s one week and the whole year turns around. It’s really special.”

Australians Steven Bowditch and Matt Jones and Americans Johnson Wagner and

Jimmy Walker shared second on 269. The Aussies both fired 68s while Walker shot 71 and Wagner fired a 73, but none could catch Blixt over the final holes.

“I pulled off some really good shots and had some birdie putts I can make,” Blixt said. “It felt awesome. I had my A-game. I got a lot of good breaks.”

“It’s just really cool to finish on top.”

An afternoon thunderstorm stopped play for three hours and ten minutes and rain continued to drench the 7,287-yard layout even after golfers returned to the course.

Blixt, second last month at the European Tour’s Swedish Masters, birdied the par-four fifth and fired back-to-back birdies at the ninth and 10th holes.

After a bogey at the 11th, Blixt sank a four-foot birdie at the par-five twelfth to reach 13-under par, matching Wagner for the lead after the American took a bogey at the 11th.

The 29-year-old Swede, who missed the cut in eight of his 16 prior PGA Tour starts this season, missed a six-foot par putt at the 13th but Wagner missed a six-foot par putt on the same hole to join Blixt on 12-under with Bowditch, Walker and Jones on their heels as the sun began to set.

Blixt rose to the challenge with a nine-foot birdie putt at the 16th, celebrating with a fist pump, and when Wagner took a bogey at the par-three 15th moments later after finding a bunker off the tee, Blixt led by two strokes.

Jones made a birdie at the par-five 17th to pull within two shots but Blixt parred his way to the clubhouse, the key shot a 45-foot putt over a ridge at the par-three 18th that stopped a foot from the cup.

Wagner and Walker both reached the 17th green needing a birdie-birdie finish to force a playoff, but both settled for pars and when they failed to ace the final hole, Blixt’s title was assured.

Walker, seeking his first Tour title, settled for his best PGA Tour finish, improving on his share of third place from this year at Pebble Beach.

The Local/AFP

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FOOTBALL

Tennis courts and golf courses to reopen in Denmark

Danes will be able to take up their tennis rackets and golf clubs again after the country's two biggest sports associations announced that outdoor sports with no physical contact can resume again.

Tennis courts and golf courses to reopen in Denmark
Tennis will be one of the first sports to restart. Photo: Søren Bidstrup/Ritzau Scanpix
The Sports Confederation of Denmark and the country's other sports association DGI announced that they had agreed new guidelines for restarting group sports with the Danish Health Authority, in a press release issued on Tuesday. 
 
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“This is the first sign of sport opening up, and we are really pleased that the health authorities have given us guidelines so that some activities can start up again,” Charlotte Bach Thomassen, chair of the Danish sports association DGI, said. 
 
“Of course, joining together in sports clubs must be safe from a  health point of view, so it is important to be aware that in many sports associations you will not be able to meet physically.” 
 
 
DIF chairman Niels Nygaard told Ritzau that the announcement did not mean any organisation would be required to restart activities they did not regard as safe. 
 
“These are voluntary associations where there are differences from association to association and sport to sport,” he said. “Our recommendations are not a requirement for associations to start activities. They can do it if it can be done under safe conditions, and if they have doubts about whether it can be done, then they shouldn't do it.”
 
According to the joint press release, group sports can now restart if: 
 
  • they take place outside 
  • participants can keep a distance of two meters from others
  • participants pay special attention to hand hygiene
  • rackets, clubs or other props are frequently cleaned
  • participants cough or sneeze into your elbow or a paper towel
  • participants stay home if they have a fever, cough or muscle soreness. 
  • shared facilities such as clubhouses and dressing and shower facilities are not used 
 
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