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Ji birdies final hole, wins U.S. Open

BETHLEHEM, Pa., July 12 (UPI) -- Eun Hee Ji sank a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole Sunday and won the U.S. Women's Open, her first major championship.

Ji shot an even-par 71 for an even-par 284, a stroke ahead of Candie Kung, who closed with a 69.

Christie Kerr, the third-round leader who won the Open in 2007, slipped to a 74 and tied for third place with In-Kyung Kim (70) at 2-over 286.

"I was very nervous before the last putt and quite frankly, I am still very nervous," Ji said through a translator after the victory in Bethlehem, Pa.

"Dream come true; that's what this means," Ji said.

The South Korean golfer won $585,000 in her second victory on the LPGA Tour.

Brittany Lincicome (70) placed fifth at 3-over 287. Paula Creamer (69), Ai Miyazato (69) and Suzann Pettersen shared sixth at 288.

World No. 1 Lorena Ochoa (72) was in a group tied for 26th place.

Stricker is 3-shot winner in Illinois

SILVIS, Ill., July 12 (UPI) -- Steve Stricker fired a 7-under-par 64 Sunday for a three-shot victory in the John Deere Classic in Illinois, his sixth title on the PGA Tour.

Stricker finished at 20-under 264. His final round included an eagle and five birdies.

The win was Stricker's second this season. He also won the Colonial in Texas.

Brandt Snedeker (65), Zach Johnson (66) and Brett Quigley (67) shared second place at 17-under 267.

The tournament's third and fourth rounds were played Sunday because of a one-day rain delay.

Stricker had a 68 in the third round and was tied for fourth place heading into the final 18 holes.

At one point during the final round, eight players were tied for the lead.

"It was survival," Johnson said.

Nocentini, Contador, Armstrong still 1-2-3

TARBES, France, July 12 (UPI) -- France's Pierrick Fedrigo won Stage 9, and the top three racers in the overall standings kept their positions Sunday in the Tour de France.

Fedrigo sped to the finish ahead of Italy's Franco Pellizotti in a 160.5-kilometer (100-mile) run from Saint-Gaudens to Tarbes in France.

The Frenchman covered the stretch through the Pyrenees in 4 hours, 5 minutes and 31 seconds, just ahead of Pellizotti.

The three leaders in the standings -- Rinaldo Nocentini of Italy, Alberto Contador of Spain and American Lance Armstrong, a seven-time Tour de France winner -- were in a group that finished 34 seconds behind Fedrigo in the ninth of 21 stages.

First-place Nocentini leads Contador by 7 seconds and Armstrong by 8 seconds in the overall competition.

Fedrigo had been a stage winner once previously, in the 2006 race.

The racers have Monday off. Stage 10 Tuesday will cover a 194.50-kilometer (121-mile) course between the French communities of Limoges and Issoudun.

Franchitti wins IRL race in Toronto

TORONTO, July 12 (UPI) -- Dario Franchitti won Sunday's IRL Honda Indy Toronto auto race after avoiding a series of late-race crashes.

Franchitti captured the race on the streets of the Ontario capital despite a problem with his left-rear tire during his first stop.

Later, the Chip Ganassi Racing driver benefited when Graham Rahal was involved in an incident just when Franchitti entered pit road before a caution flag.

"I guess we timed it right with strategy," Franchitti, the 2007 series champion, said following his third victory this season and 11th in his IndyCar career.

Team Penske's Ryan Briscoe was second and Briscoe's teammate, Will Power, was third. Scott Dixon finished fourth and last weekend's winner at Watkins Glen, Justin Wilson, beat out Danica Patrick for fifth place.