Golf highlights

March 1, 2009 at 7:24AM

GOLF

Ogilvy, Casey to square off in Accenture Match Play finale Geoff Ogilvy and Paul Casey drove up to Dove Mountain two weeks ago to play a practice round on the new golf course for the Accenture Match Play Championship in Marana, Ariz.

When they play again today, the stakes will be significantly higher.

Ogilvy made five birdies on the back nine to outlast teenage sensation Rory McIlroy in the quarterfinals on Saturday, then played his final four holes in 5-under par against Stewart Cink for a 4-and-2 victory to reach the championship match for the third time in four years.

"That's the best I played all week by a long way today," Ogilvy said.

His opponent will be Casey, who has turned in the most dominating performance in the 11-year history of the tournament.

In an All-England semifinal, Casey defeated Ross Fisher, 2 and 1, and will have a chance to become the first Match Play champion to never trail in any match the entire week.

• Bo Van Pelt shot a 3-under 67 and caught Mark Wilson for the lead at the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Playa del Carmen, Mexico. Both are at 11-under 199 through three rounds. Briny Baird shot a 3-under to get within a stroke.

• Paula Creamer had three consecutive birdies on the back nine for a 5-under 67 and a three-stroke lead heading into the final round of the $1.45 million Honda LPGA Thailand in Pattaya. Lorena Ochoa (68) and Brittany Lang (71) were tied for second.

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TENNIS

Venus wins Mexican Open Venus Williams beat defending champion Flavia Pennetta 6-1, 6-2 to win the Mexican Open title.

The 62-minute victory earned the top-seeded Williams her 41st career singles title and second in two weeks. She won in Dubai last weekend, becoming the only active player to win 40 titles.

Making her debut on Acapulco's clay, Williams won three consecutive three-set matches then lost only six games in her last two matches in extending her winning streak to 10.

Fish, Korolev in Delray final Mardy Fish advanced to the finals of the Delray Beach (Fla.) International Championships with a 6-4, 6-1 victory against Jeremy Chardy.

Fish, an Edina native, will try to become the first No. 1 seed to in the 17-year history of the tournament to win the title when he faces qualifier Evgeny Korolev today.

Korolev reached his first career final with a 6-1, 7-5 victory over Christophe Rochus in the other semifinal.

AROUND THE HORN

Track and field: Amy Acuff, who will retire later this year, won the women's high jump at the USA Indoor Championships for the fifth time. The four-time Olympian soared 6 feet, 2.75 inches on her last jump to best Deirdre Mullen of Nike TC by 2 inches on the first day of the meet in Boston.

College football: Iowa officials say freshman defensive back Shaun Prater has been suspended indefinitely after being charged with drunken driving.

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Winless away from Huntington Bank Stadium this season, the Gophers have been uncompetitive and outscored 152-33 in road games this year.

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