Sports in Brief: G'day for Spieth, who captures Aussie Open

Jordan Spieth

played the best round of an already impressive career with an 8-under 63 on Sunday to win the Australian Open by 6 strokes in Sydney, making his first trip Down Under a successful one.

Spieth's 72-hole total of 13-under 271 at the tough, windy Australian Golf Club made him the first American to win the Australian Open since Brad Faxon in 1993, when the 21-year-old Spieth was 4 months old.

Spieth birdied four holes on the front nine - three of them in a row - to lead by 3 strokes after nine holes, then made light of the challenging, windy conditions by adding four more on the back nine, never threatening to lose his lead.

Adam Scott shot 71 and finished fifth, 9 strokes behind. Defending champion Rory McIlroy, who shot 76 on Saturday, finished with a 72 and was 2-over, 15 strokes behind Spieth.

GREY CUP Hamilton star Brandon Banks' punt return for an apparent go-ahead touchdown in the final minute was wiped out by an illegal block, and the Calgary Stampeders held off the Tiger-Cats, 20-16, for the Canadian Football League title in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Calgary won its seventh CFL title and first since 2008.

Bo Levi Mitchell was 25 for 34 for 334 yards for Calgary, backup Drew Tate had two 1-yard touchdown runs and Rene Parades made two field goals.

Hamilton's Zach Collaros threw for 282 yards and a touchdown, a 45-yarder to Banks late in the first half.

SKIING Nicole Hosp of Austria raced to her first World Cup victory since 2008 with a powerful final slalom run and American Mikaela Shiffrin struggled to a fifth-place finish in Aspen, Colo.

Hosp was nearly a second back after the first run but glided through the deteriorating course in an unofficial time of 1 minute, 44.90 seconds. She held off Frida Hansdotter of Sweden by 0.19 seconds. Kathrin Zettel of Austria was third for her 10th podium finish at Aspen.

TENNIS Serena Williams made a much-awaited appearance at the franchise-based International Premier Tennis League but could not lift the Singapore Slammers as the team succumbed to a third straight defeat in the first leg in Manila, Philippines.

Williams said she had "a lot of fun" and loves the team atmosphere in the $1 million event, which will see remaining legs played in Singapore, New Delhi and Dubai.

Williams, who did not play on the opening two days, defeated the Manila Mavericks' Kirsten Flipkens, 6-3, in the women's singles but lost the mixed doubles with partner Lleyton Hewitt as Andy Murray and Flipkens won, 6-1.

SOCCER A man died, 11 others suffered minor injuries and police made several arrests after a fight broke out outside Atletico Madrid's football stadium between its fans and those of visiting team Deportivo La Coruna, Madrid officials said.

Madrid's Clinico San Carlos hospital said a man died of injuries suffered in the clash between rival fans that broke out near the Vicente Calderon stadium.

SAILING Nine crewmen from Team Vestas Wind were rescued after abandoning their 65-foot sloop that ran aground on a reef off Mauritius in the Indian Ocean during the Volvo Ocean Race.

The sailors will stay on the remote Ile du Sud, where there is a house and some facilities, race officials said. There were no injuries.

Danish-backed Team Vestas Wind was making plans with race officials on how to get the crew off the island and salvage the sloop.

U.S.- based Team Alvimedica was released to continue racing toward Abu Dhabi after dropping its sails and motoring within two miles of the damaged yacht in case it was needed to help with a rescue.

- Inquirer wire services