20 METROSPORT Monday, November 9, 2009 D Phil back on top as Rory closes the gap Phil Mickelson is excited about what 2010 will bring after ending a difficult year with a thrilling victory at the WGc-hsBc champions in shanghai. Following a traumatic 12 months in which his wife and mother were diagnosed with breast cancer, the world no.2 followed up septembers Tour championship win with a one-stroke victory over ernie els to claim the second WGc title of his career, adding to Marchs cA championship success. Mickelson crucially birdied the penultimate hole of his three-under-par final-round 69 after saving par with a testing breaking putt a hole earlier. els, playing two groups behind the over- night leader, had gone in front with back- to-back late birdies but bogeyed the last hole of a course-record nine-under 63 after hitting his approach into water to complete a decisive two-shot swing to the American. it feels terrific because i had to fight so hard throughout the day, said Mickelson, who finished on 17 under. The putts werent falling but i was able to hang in there. And the win sets him up for next season, with Mickelson adding: i am excited about 2010 because i am starting to play the best golf of my career. everything is starting to come together as far as my driving goes, since working with [coach] Butch harmon, my ball striking has been much better and my short game is as good as its ever been. Going into 2010, not only am i excited, i have high expectations. American Ryan Moore claimed third on 15 under following a 68, while Rory Mcilroy, like els, closed with a superb 63 to finish a shot further back, lifting the irishman to sec- ond place in the Race to Dubai with two events left. Tiger Woods, who began the day two shots behind Mickelson in second, missed several short putts during his level-par final round and was forced to settle for sixth five off the pace along with Martin kaymer. Anything that could go wrong went wrong for me, said Woods. spaniard Alvaro Quiros (66) and money- list leader lee Westwood (71) shared eighth on 11 under. The englishman is less than 60,000 ahead of Mcilroy in the standings. Traumatic year: Mickelson Today SoCCER (7.45 unless stated) Barclays Premier League Liverpool v Birmingham............. 8.00 Coca-Cola Championship Barnsley v Sheff Utd......................... Setanta Cup Group 1 Cork v Sligo...................................... HoRSE RaCING Carlisle, Southwell, Wolverhampton TENNIS (all week) aTP BNP Paribas Masters (Paris) LTa Mens & Womens Event (Jersey) TuESday SoCCER Setanta Cup Group 3 St Patricks v Derry City ............. 8.00 League of Ireland promotion/ relegation play-offs Drogheda United v Bray Wdrs... 7.45 Shelbourne v Sporting Fingal.... 7.45 League of Ireland First division Monaghan Utd v Wexford Y ...... 8.00 HoRSE RaCING Exeter, Lingfield Park, Sedgefield WEdNESday HoRSE RaCING Bangor-on-dee, Kempton, Southwell, Warwick, Dundalk THuRSday GoLF (until Sunday) European Tour: uBS Hong Kong open (Hong Kong GC, Fanling) uSPGa Tour: Childrens Miracle Network Classic (Magnolia GC, Lake Buena Vista, Florida ) HoRSE RaCING Ludlow, Southwell, Taunton, Wolverhampton, Clonmel FRIday CRICKET Twenty20 Match: S Africa v England HoRSE RaCING Cheltenham, Lingfield, Newcastle, Wolverhampton, Dundalk RuGBy uNIoN International Matches: France v South Africa (7.45), Wales v Samoa (7.30) SaTuRday SoCCER (3.00 unless stated) FIFa World Cup European Qualifying Play-offs First Leg Greece v Ukraine....................... 7.00 Portugal v Bosnia-Herzegovina. 7.00 Rep of Ireland v France ............. 8.00 Russia v Slovenia ...................... 4.00 FIFa World Cup asia/oceania Play-off Second Leg New Zealand v Bahrain ............. 7.00 International Matches Brazil v England......................... 5.00 Italy v Holland............................ 7.00 Northern Ireland v Serbia .......... 5.30 Spain v Argentina ...................... 9.00 Wales v Scotland.............................. European under-21 Championship Qualifying Group Two Armenia v Estonia ................... 11.00 Georgia v Rep of Ireland ......... 11.00 Turkey v Switzerland......................... Coca-Cola Football League one Brentford v Millwall........................... Bristol Rovers v Carlisle ................... Charlton v Milton Keynes Dons........ Colchester v Exeter .......................... Gillingham v Oldham........................ Hartlepool v Leyton Orient ............... Huddersfield v Wycombe........ 12.05 Norwich v Tranmere.......................... Walsall v Stockport........................... Yeovil v Southend............................. Coca-Cola Football League Two Accrington Stanley v Dag & Red...... Aldershot v Macclesfield .................. Barnet v Hereford............................. Bradford v Bournemouth.................. Bury v Notts County......................... Crewe v Morecambe ........................ Darlington v Burton Albion ............... Lincoln City v Cheltenham ............... Northampton v Grimsby................... Port Vale v Rotherham...................... Rochdale v Chesterfield ................... Shrewsbury v Torquay...................... HoRSE RaCING Cheltenham, Uttoxeter, Wetherby, Wolverhampton, Great Leighs, Punchestown RuGBy uNIoN International Matches: England v Argentina (2.30), Italy v New Zealand (2.00), Scotland v Fiji (2.30) a I B League division one (2.30) Section a: Blackrock Coll v Shannon, Cork Con v Clontarf, Garryowen v Dolphin, UL Bohemians v St Marys Section B: Dungannon v Buccaneers, Ballynahinch v UCC, Young Munster v Ballymena, Galwegians v Old Belv SuNday SoCCER (3.00 unless stated) FIFa World Cup CoNCaCaF/South america Play-off First Leg Costa Rica v Uruguay................ 2.00 Coca-Cola Football League one Southampton v Brighton ........... 4.30 CRICKET Twenty20 Match: South Africa v England (Centurion Park) HoRSE RaCING Cheltenham, Fontwell Park, Market Rasen, Punchestown RuGBy uNIoN International Match: Ireland v Australia (3.00) this weeks fixtures GAA under pressure: Boden keeper daire Walsh is tackled by Rathnews Leighton Glynn Dara decides it for Ballyboden DARA shovlin proved Ballybodens super-sub with a golden goal to keep their leinster club title hopes alive with a 1-10 to 1-7 over Wicklows Rathnew. The lively forward netted just seconds after his 56th- minute introduction at Parnell Park. The strike separated the sides and ensured a semi-final match-up with Westmeath champions Garrycastle on sunday week. Dublin champions Boden will be without captain Declan oMahony, however, after a straight red card. he and Rathnew ace James stafford were dismissed by referee Maurice Deegan after an injury-time melee. Boss liam oDwyer claimed oMahony was unlucky to be picked out in the fracas, indicating a likely appeal. it was a sour end for Boden, who showed real courage to come from behind to win. Twice in the second half they trailed by three points and were 0-3 to 0-4 down at half-time. Allstar nominee leighton Glynn netted a wonder goal ten minutes from time which put Rathnew 1-7 to 0-7 ahead, but back-to- back Boden points reduced the margin to one before shovlin struck that crucial goal. Boss oDwyer said: Fair play to Dara shovlin, hes been chomping at the bit all week and all season to get into the team. he took his chance when he came in. Garrycastle beat clonguish 1-14 to 0-15 after extra- time to set up the Boden clash. Portlaoise won through to meet offaly champions clara in the other semi-final after they beat a fatigued senechalstown 3-12 to 1-6 after the Meath champions claimed their county title just last Thursday night. TENNIS: Flavia Pennetta secured Fed Cup victory for Italy by beating USA teenager Melanie Oudin yesterday. After comfortable wins for Pennetta and Francesca Schiavone on Saturday, the world No.11 defeated Oudin 7-5, 6-2 to give the hosts an unassailable 3-0 lead. Without the Williams sisters, the USA struggled on the clay of Reggio Calabria and Italys greater experience told. Pennetta, 27, said: In the beginning, we were very nervous. But now we can enjoy. TENNIS: Roger Federer missed out on a fourth successive Swiss Indoor title with defeat by Novak djokovic yesterday. The Serbian triumphed 6-4, 4-6, 6-2 to record his third win over the world No.1 in five meetings this year. Federer, who had not lost a service game on his way to the final, was broken four times. The tenth game in the first set was extraordinary, with Federer saving six set points and djokovic saving five break points before the Serbian finally claimed the set. MOTOGP: Dani Pedrosa finished the season with victory in Valencia to claim third in the title standings ahead of Casey Stoner. World champion Valentino Rossi was second, ahead of Fiat Yamaha team-mate Jorge Lorenzo, but Stoners hopes of claiming second in the standings from Lorenzo ended before the start when the Australian slid off his Ducati in the warm-up. Repsol Hondas Pedrosa took the lead at the start and steadily pulled clear of Lorenzo and Rossi. Home win: Pedrosa SPORTDigest RuGBy LEaGuE: Twin brothers Reece and Travis Robinson scored 24 points between them as Lebanon beat a disappointing Ireland in the rugbyleague.com European Cup third- place play-off match in Maesteg. The Cedars, who lost out to Ireland in qualifying for the 2008 World Cup, seized the initiative with three tries in the first 11 minutes. Irish centre James Haley pounced for two tries in six minutes but there was no hope of a comeback. By PETER REGaN GOLf HSBC CHaMPIoNS davId HayE has vowed to unify the heavyweight division after wresting the WBa world title from Russian giant Nikolai valuev. In only his third fight in the division, the former cruiserweight king produced a technically sublime performance to beat valuev on a majority points decision in Nuremburg on Saturday night, despite suffering a suspected broken right hand in the second round. Now Haye, after a mandatory defence against John Ruiz, will go hunting for vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, the ukrainian brothers who between them hold three versions of the title. This is the start of big things, said the Londoner. Im looking forward to cleaning up the division. I said I want to be unified champion and the Klitschkos are in my sights. Victorious Haye targets Klitshckos Picture:Gatty Making Haye: The new world champion takes aim at the massive frame of Russian valuev bOxinG index.html2.html3.html4.html5.html6.html7.html8.html9.html10.html11.html12.html13.html14.html15.html16.html17.html18.html19.html20.html21.html22.html23.html