Sports briefs for June 16, 2003

Monday, June 16, 2003 | 10:13 a.m.

Teske wins playoff at LPGA tournament

Rachel Teske made a 35-foot birdie on the last hole to join a four-player playoff, then ended it by rolling in an 18-foot putt for birdie on the third hole of sudden death to win the Giant Eagle LPGA Classic in Vienna, Ohio.

Annika Sorenstam, Lorie Kane and Jennifer Rosales each missed birdie putts on their third playoff holes as Teske captured her seventh career victory and collected $150,000.

Teske closed with a 69 to finish at 12-under 204. Kane broke the tournament record with a 63 that included four birdies on the front side and five more on the back without a bogey.

Dixon wins Pikes Peak

Scott Dixon won the Honda Indy 225 under a yellow flag Sunday in Fountain, Colo., for his second IRL victory this season.

Dixon, who also won the IRL's season-opening race at Homestead, Fla., led 89 laps, including the final 84. Two cars spun out in the final 10 laps, producing two yellows.

Season points leader Tony Kanaan was runner-up for the second week in a row, followed by Gil de Ferran, the race's defending champion.

Kournikova withdraws from Wimbledon

Anna Kournikova has pulled out of Wimbledon because of a back injury.

The Wimbledon referee's office said today she had notified the All England Club of her withdrawal on Friday. The tournament begins June 23.

A tearful Kournikova withdrew from the DFS Classic grass-court tournament in Birmingham last week after aggravating her injury in practice.

Kournikova has won only one of 10 matches this year on the WTA Tour and withdrawn from a series of tournaments with leg and back problems. She has slipped to No. 77 in the rankings.