Sports briefs

NASCAR

Keselowski clinches title

Brad Keselowski clinched the Nationwide season title by finishing third in Texas yesterday, giving owner Roger Penske his first championship in one of NASCAR's national series.

Keselowski, who had to finish only 21st or better to wrap up the driver's championship with two races left, crossed the line behind winner Carl Edwards and runner-up Kyle Busch to earn his 24th top-five result of the season.

While Keselowski did celebratory doughnuts in his No. 22 Dodge, Edwards got the checkered flag from his 28th career Nationwide victory.

GOLF

Molinari leads Westwood

Francesco Molinari holed out for eagle from the 13th fairway, matched the lowest score of the third round and still had to make a 10-foot birdie putt on the last hole to keep the lead over top-ranked Lee Westwood in the HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

Westwood looked as if he might finally catch up when he chipped from just off the green on the par-5 18th to tap-in range for birdie and a 5-under 67. Molinari, who had to lay up on the hole, knocked in his putt from the back of the green for a 67.

Shin on top in Mizuno

South Korea's Jiyai Shin shot a 6-under 66 to take a two-stroke lead over American Stacy Lewis after the second round of the Mizuno Classic.

Shin had six birdies in a bogey-free round at the Kintetsu Kashikojima Country Club in Shima, Japan for a 36-hole total of 13-under 131.

Shin, who is No. 1 in the LPGA rankings, won here in 2008 and put herself in position to win her second tournament of the year.

Allen holds one-stroke edge

Michael Allen shot a course-record 10-under 61 to take a one-stroke lead over defending champion John Cook in the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship in San Francisco.

The 51-year-old Allen had 10 birdies, the last on the par-4 18th, in his bogey-free round at Harding Park for the lowest round of his career. He also matched the best round of the year on the Champions Tour.

TENNIS

Schiavone wins at Fed Cup

Francesca Schiavone got defending champ Italy off to a fast start in the Fed Cup in San Diego with a 6-2, 6-4 win against 18-year-old Coco Vandeweghe of the United States.

Schiavone, the French Open winner, needed 1 hour, 23 minutes to put away Vandeweghe, who was making her Fed Cup debut.