In brief | Golf & Tennis | 3-2-14

McIlroy maintains Honda lead

PALM BEACH GARDENS, Fla. — Rory McIlroy did just enough to keep the lead Saturday in the Honda Classic.

McIlroy avoided a big number early in his round and narrowly missed birdie chances late. He wound up with a 1-under 69 for a two-shot lead over Russell Henley going into the final round. The 24-year-old from Northern Ireland is going for his first PGA Tour win in 18 months.

Tiger Woods moved up 49 spots with a 65 playing in the second group of the day. He finished two hours before McIlroy started and wound up in a tie for 17th, though he was still seven shots behind.

Henley holed out form 150 yards for eagle on No. 14 on his way to a 68.

McIlroy was at 12-under 198. He won the 2012 tournament.

Webb up by 1 at HSBC

SINGAPORE — Australia’s Karrie Webb shot a 2-under 70 to take a one-stroke lead over American Angela Stanford after the third round of the HSBC Women’s Champions.

Webb had an 11-under 205 total on Sentosa’s Serapong Course. The 39-year-old Hall of Famer, the 2011 Singapore winner at Tanah Merah, won the Women’s Australian Open two weeks ago for her 40th LPGA Tour title.

Stanford, the 2012 winner at Tanah Merah, had a 69.

Spain’s Azahara Munoz and Taiwan’s Teresa Lu were 8 under. Munoz shot 67, and Lu had a 70.

Federer wins 6th Dubai Championships title

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Roger Federer won a record sixth Dubai Championships — and 78th career title — by beating Tomas Berdych 3-6, 6-4, 6-3 in the final on Saturday.

Federer, who maintains a home in Dubai, delighted a packed stadium of fans who seemed biased for the Swiss in back-to-back wins over Novak Djokovic in the semifinals and Berdych.

Federer’s win, his sixth here in the last 12 years, extends his record of winning at least one title a year to 14 consecutive years.

This is Federer’s first tournament victory since winning in Halle, his only title of 2013, last spring.

By wire sources