Monday's Sports In Brief
GOLF
PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. (AP) Padraig Harrington captured his first PGA Tour title in more than six years when he won the Honda Classic by making a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole in regulation and beating 21-year-old rookie Daniel Berger on the second playoff hole.
It took two days to complete the final round. Four of the five players who had a share of the lead hit shots into the water down the stretch.
Harrington, a three-time major champion finished the final round with an even-par 70 to get into a playoff with Berger, the hometown rookie who had a 64. They finished at 6-under 274.
Both missed birdie putts on the par-5 18th in the playoff. And on the 17th hole, Berger took double bogey and Harrington made birdie for his first PGA Tour win since the 2008 PGA Championship.
NFL
DETROIT (AP) - Ndamukong Suh can test the open market when free agency begins March 10 after the Detroit Lions did not use the franchise tag on the star defensive tackle.
The deadline for teams to designate franchise or transition players came and went Monday, and the Lions did not say anything publicly about their decision. There was only a report early in the day on the team's website saying the franchise tag's price of around $27 million for Suh proved too daunting.
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) - The Minnesota Vikings have been trying to take advantage of their opportunity to communicate with Adrian Peterson.
General manager Rick Spielman said the organization has had ''open dialogue'' with the star running back since the NFL tabled his suspension and returned him to the special exempt list. That's where Peterson spent much of the 2014 season, essentially paid leave, while the child abuse case he was involved in played out in court.
Under the parameters of his suspension, the Vikings weren't allowed to have any direct contact with Peterson. Now they're able to, for the time being. That's critical with the NFL's transactions period starting March 10. Peterson will turn 30 five days later.
If the Vikings are going to keep him, they need to assess his feelings about staying. If he's not interested, they'd likely try to trade him to receive some compensation for an elite player rather than release him for no return.
FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) - The New England Patriots placed the franchise tag on three-time Pro Bowl kicker Stephen Gostkowski.
The team said in an unattributed statement that the move gives the sides more time to negotiate an agreement. If no deal is reached by July 15, the Patriots will pay Gostkowski $4.126 million in 2015.
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. (AP) - The New York Giants placed the franchise tag on defensive end Jason Pierre-Paul after the 26-year-old rebounded from two injury-plagued seasons.
The Giants made the move guaranteeing that their first-round draft pick of 2010 will make at least $14.813 million next season unless the two sides reach an agreement on a long-term deal by July 15.
IRVING, Texas (AP) - Dez Bryant will get four more months to work on a long-term deal with the Cowboys and make $12.8 million next year after the team used its franchise tag on the star wide receiver.
Bryant led the NFL with a club-record 16 touchdowns in the final year of a rookie contract that paid $11.8 million over five years.
The 26-year-old Bryant was the fastest Dallas player to 300 career receptions and second-fastest to 50 touchdowns behind Bob Hayes.
NHL
ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) - The Minnesota Wild added two more players for the stretch run in the final hours before the NHL's trade deadline, dealing for defenseman Jordan Leopold and right wing Chris Stewart to shore up their depth.
The Wild sent defenseman Justin Falk and a fifth-round draft pick in 2015 to the Columbus Blue Jackets for Leopold, the Hobey Baker award winner in 2002 for the national champion team at Minnesota after growing up in the Twin Cities area.
Then the Wild sent a second-round selection in the 2017 draft to Buffalo for Stewart, who had 11 goals and 14 assists in 61 games for the Sabres this season. They also acquired AHL center Jared Knight from the Boston Bruins for center Zack Phillips, their first-round draft pick in 2011.
ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) - Although the Anaheim Ducks have been near the top of the NHL standings for most of the past three seasons, general manager Bob Murray still didn't believe they could consistently beat hockey's top teams.
Anaheim acquired defensemen James Wisniewski, Simon Despres and Korbinian Holzer and center Michael Sgarbossa in four separate deadline deals, dramatically revamping the Pacific Division leaders' defense just 18 games before the postseason.
The Ducks traded defensemen Ben Lovejoy, Eric Brewer and Mat Clark, young center William Karlsson and veteran wing Rene Bourque to swing the deals, which also involved a few draft picks.
NEWARK, N.J. (AP) - The Detroit Red Wings picked up one of New Jersey's most reliable defenseman for their playoff push in a move that left many wondering whether Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello was giving up on the current season.
The Red Wings completed their second big move in 24 hours, acquiring veteran Marek Zidlicky for a conditional draft pick just hours before the NHL trading deadline expired.
BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) - The Buffalo Sabres continued their rebuilding effort with a flurry of deadline day deals, moving four veterans set to become free agents when the season ends.
The last-place Sabres traded forwards Chris Stewart, Torrey Mitchell and Brian Flynn, and goalie Michal Neuvirth and received mostly draft picks as compensation.
Buffalo sent Mitchell and Flynn to Montreal in separate trades, receiving prospect forward Jack Nevins and a 2016 seventh-round draft pick for Mitchell and a 2016 fifth-round pick for Flynn. Stewart was traded to Minnesota for a 2017 second-round pick.
Neuvirth was traded to the New York Islanders for goalie Chad Johnson and a 2016 third-round pick.
SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) - With their playoff position in peril, the San Jose Sharks dealt away some of their pending unrestricted free agents in their latest move toward the future.
The Sharks swapped fourth-liners with Chicago, trading forward Andrew Desjardins to the Blackhawks for forward Ben Smith, dealt forward Tyler Kennedy to the New York Islanders for a draft pick and swapped minor leaguers with Colorado before Monday's trade deadline.