Spieth wins Valspar Championship in playoff

Jordan Spieth and his world-class short game came up big in a playoff victory Sunday at the Valspar Championship in Palm Harbor, Florida.

Spieth capped off an afternoon of back-nine charges, clutch putts and unseemly par saves by making a 30-foot birdie putt on the third extra hole of a playoff at Innisbrook to beat Ryder Cup teammates Patrick Reed and Sean O’Hair. The 21-year-old Spieth won for the second time in his PGA Tour career and fourth time worldwide to reach a career-high No. 6 in the world.

Spieth was three shots behind with six holes to play when he made two birdies to catch a faltering Ryan Moore, and then saved par on his final three holes for a 2-under 69 to join the playoff. And these par saves were not what anyone would call routine.

With his right foot in the bunker and his left foot on grass well above the ball in the sand, he blasted out to 3 feet on the 16th. From deep rough on a hill, he hit a flop shot to a short pin to 6 feet to stay tied for the lead. And he made a 12-foot par putt on 18 that fell in the left side of the cup.

Reed was the first to finish at 10-under 274, holing a 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a bogey-free 66. O’Hair closed with a 67. He had a 12-foot birdie putt for the win on the second extra hole, and the putt caught the right side of the cup.

Henrik Stenson was a stroke back after a 67.

Moore ended up fifth at 8 under after a 72.

World Ladies

South Korea’s So Yeon Ryu won the Ladies European Tour’s World Ladies Championship in Haikou, China, beating defending champion Inbee Park by a stroke.

Ryu, the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open champion, closed with a 4 under 69 to finish at 13-under 279 on Mission Hills’ Blackstone Course. The second-ranked Park, also from South Korea, finished with a 71. Norway’s Suzann Pettersen and China’s Xiyu Lin shot 70 to tie for third at 10 under.