Anna Nordqvist

Anna Nordqvist made a 36-foot birdie putt on the final hole Friday to break a tie with Nicole Castrale and take the lead after two rounds of the LPGA Championship. Nordqvist, a rookie from Sweden who played at Arizona State, began the day in second place -- one stroke behind Castrale -- and shot a two-under-par 70. Starting on No. 10, Nordqvist birdied three of the first eight holes before losing momentum.

The leaderboard after the first round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship was showing international colors Thursday. South Korea's Na Yeon Choi, Norway's Suzann Pettersen and England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff were tied for the lead at Mission Hills Country Club after shooting rounds of four-under-par 68. Meanwhile, down in a tie for 22nd place, Michelle Wie was displaying her own colors. Wie, who has made only one cut this year, dyed her hair pink, purple and turquoise and was happy with her even-par round of 72 at Rancho Mirage.

Cristie Kerr won the rain-delayed LPGA State Farm Classic by one shot over Anna Nordqvist and Na Yeon Choi on Monday. The final round of the event at Springfield, Ill., was played a day late because of weekend rain interrupting play. Kerr fought off flu symptoms and late challenges from Nordqvist and Choi, shooting a three-under-par 69 in the final round to finish at 22-under 266 at Panther Creek Country Club. Kerr had a two-shot lead heading to the final hole, so a bogey on the final hole gave her the one-shot victory.

RANCHO MIRAGE -- Jodi Ewart Shadoff, a newlywed from Britain, joined Na Yeon Choi and Suzann Pettersen as the leaders after the first round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the LPGA Tour's first major tournament at Mission Hills Country Club. Ewart Shadoff, who was married in January, played in the afternoon and joined Choi and Pettersen atop the leaderboard late in the day as she played in the final group. The tri-leaders shot four-under-par 68 and led Amy Yang and Anna Nordqvist by a single shot.

RANCHO MIRAGE -- Jodi Ewart Shadoff, a newlywed from Britain, joined Na Yeon Choi and Suzann Pettersen as the leaders after the first round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship, the LPGA Tour's first major tournament at Mission Hills Country Club. Ewart Shadoff, who was married in January, played in the afternoon and joined Choi and Pettersen atop the leaderboard late in the day as she played in the final group. The tri-leaders shot four-under-par 68 and led Amy Yang and Anna Nordqvist by a single shot.

Rookie Webb Simpson found enough birdies on long, tough and wet Liberty National in Jersey City, N.J., to shoot a three-under-par 68 Friday and build a two-shot lead in the Barclays, the opening playoff event on the PGA Tour. Simpson, 24, took the lead with an approach to 10 inches on the fifth hole. He was among nine players who broke par, finishing at eight-under 134. Paul Goydos and Steve Marino, among the leaders after the first round, each had a 71 and were tied for second.

A surprising visit by Albert Pujols is sending the message: The Miami Marlins will be a much different franchise from the Florida Marlins. Pujols began his free-agent tour Friday when he was courted in Miami by the Marlins, only hours before they officially changed their name during a ceremony at their new ballpark. Pujols had lunch with team officials, checked out the stadium and received a contract offer. The notoriously thrifty franchise, suddenly in the mood for a spending spree, declined to disclose details of the proposal.

The St. Louis Cardinals are replacing a manager who's third on the career victory list with a man who'll be writing his first lineup card on opening day. Mike Matheny , a former catcher with the Cardinals who had been a minor league instructor, will be introduced as Tony La Russa's successor at a news conference Monday. Matheny, 40, played for St. Louis from 2000 to 2004 and won three of his four Gold Gloves there. He became a team leader playing for La Russa, who retired after leading the Cardinals to their second World Series title in his 16 seasons with the team.

Joey Logano passed Ryan Truex with a few laps left on Saturday to win the Nationwide Series race at Dover International Speedway in Delaware. Truex was second and Brian Scott third for a 1-2-3 finish for Joe Gibbs Racing. Truex had the top car toward the end of the race until he got loose with less than 10 laps left. Logano capitalized and made the late charge through lapped traffic to zip past Truex for his fourth Nationwide win of the season. Kurt Busch was fourth and Justin Allgaier fifth, and they exchanged words on pit road after the race.

The leaderboard after the first round of the Kraft Nabisco Championship was showing international colors Thursday. South Korea's Na Yeon Choi, Norway's Suzann Pettersen and England's Jodi Ewart Shadoff were tied for the lead at Mission Hills Country Club after shooting rounds of four-under-par 68. Meanwhile, down in a tie for 22nd place, Michelle Wie was displaying her own colors. Wie, who has made only one cut this year, dyed her hair pink, purple and turquoise and was happy with her even-par round of 72 at Rancho Mirage.

Joey Logano passed Ryan Truex with a few laps left on Saturday to win the Nationwide Series race at Dover International Speedway in Delaware. Truex was second and Brian Scott third for a 1-2-3 finish for Joe Gibbs Racing. Truex had the top car toward the end of the race until he got loose with less than 10 laps left. Logano capitalized and made the late charge through lapped traffic to zip past Truex for his fourth Nationwide win of the season. Kurt Busch was fourth and Justin Allgaier fifth, and they exchanged words on pit road after the race.

The St. Louis Cardinals are replacing a manager who's third on the career victory list with a man who'll be writing his first lineup card on opening day. Mike Matheny , a former catcher with the Cardinals who had been a minor league instructor, will be introduced as Tony La Russa's successor at a news conference Monday. Matheny, 40, played for St. Louis from 2000 to 2004 and won three of his four Gold Gloves there. He became a team leader playing for La Russa, who retired after leading the Cardinals to their second World Series title in his 16 seasons with the team.

A surprising visit by Albert Pujols is sending the message: The Miami Marlins will be a much different franchise from the Florida Marlins. Pujols began his free-agent tour Friday when he was courted in Miami by the Marlins, only hours before they officially changed their name during a ceremony at their new ballpark. Pujols had lunch with team officials, checked out the stadium and received a contract offer. The notoriously thrifty franchise, suddenly in the mood for a spending spree, declined to disclose details of the proposal.

The NHL said Friday that the throwing of a banana from the stands during an exhibition hockey game involving a black player was "stupid and ignorant. " The banana was thrown from the crowd in London, Ontario, on Thursday as Philadelphia Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds , who is black, was skating toward the Detroit goal during a shootout. "We have millions of great fans who show tremendous respect for our players and for the game," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.

Cristie Kerr won the rain-delayed LPGA State Farm Classic by one shot over Anna Nordqvist and Na Yeon Choi on Monday. The final round of the event at Springfield, Ill., was played a day late because of weekend rain interrupting play. Kerr fought off flu symptoms and late challenges from Nordqvist and Choi, shooting a three-under-par 69 in the final round to finish at 22-under 266 at Panther Creek Country Club. Kerr had a two-shot lead heading to the final hole, so a bogey on the final hole gave her the one-shot victory.

Rookie Webb Simpson found enough birdies on long, tough and wet Liberty National in Jersey City, N.J., to shoot a three-under-par 68 Friday and build a two-shot lead in the Barclays, the opening playoff event on the PGA Tour. Simpson, 24, took the lead with an approach to 10 inches on the fifth hole. He was among nine players who broke par, finishing at eight-under 134. Paul Goydos and Steve Marino, among the leaders after the first round, each had a 71 and were tied for second.

The NHL said Friday that the throwing of a banana from the stands during an exhibition hockey game involving a black player was "stupid and ignorant. " The banana was thrown from the crowd in London, Ontario, on Thursday as Philadelphia Flyers winger Wayne Simmonds , who is black, was skating toward the Detroit goal during a shootout. "We have millions of great fans who show tremendous respect for our players and for the game," NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said in a statement.

A long and memorable day for Anna Nordqvist ended with a well-deserved champagne shower on the 18th green. Playing in only her fifth professional tournament, the steely nerved rookie from Sweden shot a four-under-par 68 on Sunday to win the LPGA Championship by four strokes over Lindsey Wright. Nordqvist finished at 15-under 273 in the tournament's final stand at Bulle Rock Golf Course. After letting a five-shot lead dwindle to one, Nordqvist sank a 12-foot birdie putt on No.