Irwin starts season off with first victory in 15 months

Hale Irwin won the Champions Tour’s season-opening MasterCard Championship on Sunday at Kaupulehu-Kona, Hawaii, beating Jim Thorpe and Tom Kite by five strokes for his tour-record 45th victory and first in 15 months.

Coming off his first winless season in 12 years, the 61-year-old Irwin closed with a seven-under-par 65 for a 23-under 193 total to become the sixth-oldest player to win on the senior tour.

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Celeste Troche and Julieta Granada of Paraguay combined for a seven-under 65 in better ball to win the Women’s World Cup in Sun City, South Africa, beating the runner-up United States by seven strokes.

Paraguay finished at nine-under 279 at Gary Player Country Club. The U.S. team of Pat Hurst and Juli Inkster (67) was at 286, with South Korea (67) third at 287.

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Paul Casey shot a seven-under 65 to win the Abu Dhabi golf championship in the United Arab Emirates by one stroke over Miguel Angel Jimenez and Peter Hanson.