GENEVA — Elida’s Clark Etzler was part of the Mount Union men’s 1,600-meter relay team which won a national championship at the NCAA Division III track and field meet on Saturday.
Etzler ran the third leg of the event for the Purple Raiders, who finished in a time of 3:10.41. Bethel (Minn.) College was second in a time of 3:11.24.
Tyler Neff ran the first leg of the relay and James Roth had the second leg. Freshman A.J. Digby anchored the team. Mount Union finished third in the men’s team standings.
Kerber’s first-round loss makes French Open history
PARIS — Angelique Kerber has not been playing at all like someone ranked No. 1 this season, and on Sunday she became the first woman seeded No. 1 to lose in the French Open’s first round in the professional era.
Kerber, who ended Serena Williams’ stay atop the WTA rankings last year, was gone from Roland Garros by lunchtime on Day 1, putting up little resistance while being beaten 6-2, 6-2 by 40th-ranked Ekaterina Makarova of Russia.
“Well,” Makarova said when informed of the history made by her victory, “that’s unbelievable.”
Kerber won the Australian Open and U.S. Open, and was the Wimbledon runner-up, in 2016, surging to the heights of tennis. But this year has been much more of a struggle: The German has a 19-13 record, losing 4 of her past 6 matches.
Her strokes were off all match against Makarova, who has reached two major semifinals, but never been past the fourth round in Paris. Makarova even pointed out that she never before had played a singles match in the tournament’s main stadium (she was the 2013 French Open women’s doubles champion).
Kisner holds off late charge by Spieth to win at Colonial
FORT WORTH, Texas — Kevin Kisner birdied the first three holes on the back nine to take the lead and held on to win at Colonial despite a Sunday charge by defending champion Jordan Spieth.
Kisner shot a 4-under 66 to finish at 10-under 270, including a clutch par save on the 18th hole after a wayward tee shot and an approach that was off the back side of the green and well below the hole. He finished a stroke ahead of Spieth, Sean O’Hair and Jon Rahm.
Spieth shot a bogey-free 65, and was standing on a chair to see over the crowd at the 18th green when Kisner putted up the mound to 5 feet of the cup and then made the winning putt. That came right after Rahm’s 10-foot birdie chance skirted just to the left of the hole.
The 33-year-old Kisner got his second PGA Tour victory in 148 starts since his debut in 2011, and a check for just more than $1.2 million. He was a runner-up twice this year, and six times over past three seasons.
Langer overtakes Singh to win Senior PGA Championship
STERLING, Va. — Bernhard Langer played near-flawless golf and took advantage of Vijay Singh’s late mistakes to win the Senior PGA Championship at Trump National on Sunday for his record ninth senior major.
The Senior PGA was the only major that had eluded the 59-year-old German star during his dominant decade-long run on the 50-and-over circuit. He tied Jack Nicklaus’ senior major record last week with a comeback victory in the Regions Tradition in Alabama.
Despite a few dozen protesters, the drama remained on the course at President Donald Trump’s club on the shores of the Potomac River. Trump, coming off a nine-day trip abroad, did not attend the final round.
Langer pulled ahead of Singh with a 12-foot birdie on the par-4 16th. Singh three-putted 17 to give Langer a two-shot advantage. After Singh birdied 18, Langer calmly tapped in for par and a one-shot victory. He shot a 4-under 68 to finish at 18-under 270. Singh closed with a 70.
Langer also won the season-opening event in Hawaii and has 32 career senior victories.
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