Today's sports news: What you need to know

Latest - New Zealand's Steven Alker has won for the second time on the US PGA Champions Tour.

Alker has scored a six shot victory at the latest over-50's event in Mississippi.

He fired a course record 62 in the second round.

Alker finished 18 under par in the three round $2.3 million tournament, well clear of three-time major winner Padraig Harrington of Ireland and Alex Cejka of Germany.

"(My game) was there," Alker said. "I didn't quite have it the first day but just kind of freed it up and let it go."

He has finished in the top 20 in all four events he's played this season.

Alker won his first Champions Tour event in November.

Pulse grab last goal against Magic

The Pulse have pipped the Magic 51-50 in their ANZ netball game in Hamilton.

There were twists and turns aplenty as the lead changed hands on numerous occasions, the outcome drawn out until the dying seconds after Bailey Mes clinched a stunning equaliser while falling out of court.

With time virtually up, a cool-headed Aliyah Dunn calmly slotted the winner in a tense contest.

With players missing through illness, Magic called on experience to lend a helping hand in the form of Leana de Bruin, who at 44 years of age admirably got through a full 60 minutes. At the other end of the court, Ameliaranne Ekenasio continued her comeback from the birth of her second child to play three-quarters of the match.

De Bruin became the oldest to play at the elite domestic level, surpassing fellow greats Temepara Bailey and Irene van Dyk, who both called time when they were 43.

Dunn shot 37 from 40 for the Pulse, while goal keep Kelly Jury was named MVP.

The Pulse are now second on the table behind the Northern Mystics, while the Magic are fifth.

Spurs go big against Newcastle

Tottenham came from behind to comfortably beat Newcastle 5-1 and move up to fourth in the Premier League.

Antonio Conte's side leap above north London rivals Arsenal on goal difference, but Mikel Arteta's men have two games in hand including tomorrow's trip to Crystal Palace.

Newcastle, who remain 15th in the table and nine points above the relegation zone, substitued All Whites striker Chris Wood in the 70th minute.

West Ham United boosted their bid for European qualification as defender Aaron Cresswell's brilliant free kick and forward Jarrod Bowen's second-half strike sealed a 2-1 win over 10-man Everton at the London Stadium.

Victory saw West Ham climb three spots to sixth with 51 points from 31 games, while Everton remain in 17th, three points above the drop zone.

-BBC

Chiefs hold off Hurricanes

The Chiefs held off the Hurricanes to claim a 30-29 victory in an entertaining Super Rugby clash yesterday evening in Wellington.

The Hurricanes, led by captain Ardie Savea who scored an impressive try, fought back from 30-15 down in the final 15 minutes but couldn't take the lead from the Chiefs who have now beaten them three times in a row.

The Hurricanes, back at home for the first time in almost a year, will be disappointed following their upset loss to Moana Pasifika last round.

The Chiefs now have four wins from six games while the Hurricanes have two wins from five.

The Crusaders and Blues are the best performing New Zealand sides with each recording five wins from six games.

NZ rowers claim boat race title

New Zealand rowers Grace Prendergast and Ruby Tew have helped Cambridge to success in the annual University Boat Race on the Thames.

Cambridge recorded a record time of 18 minutes and 22 seconds to beat Oxford by two boat lengths and extend their winning streak to five years.

Oxford won the men's race for the first time since 2017 with New Zealander Jamie Hunter in the beaten Cambridge boat.

The 2022 Boat Race marks the return of the event to the Thames in London for the first time since 2019 because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The 2020 edition was cancelled, while the 2021 event took place without spectators on the Great Ouse in Ely because of Covid restrictions.

Oxford have now won 81 Boat Races, narrowing the gap with Cambridge's 85, while in the women's, Cambridge have won 46 editions to Oxford's 30.

Proteas take control

South Africa spinner Keshav Maharaj took the key wicket of first innings centurion Mahmudul Hasan Joy as Bangladesh slipped to 11 for three in pursuit of a victory target of 274 at the close of play on day four of the first test at Kingsmead.

Bangladesh had bowled the home side out for 204 in their second innings and were left with a tricky final 20 minutes in the day to bat, during which they lost Mahmudul (4), fellow opener Shadman Islam (0) and captain Mominul Haque (2).

Victory looks a long way off for the visitors on a wicket that has plenty of assistance for spin and seam bowlers.

South Africa are without several regular players. Seamers Kagiso Rabada, Lungi Ngidi and Marco Jansen plus top-order batsmen Aiden Markram and Rassie van der Dussen all opted to play in the Indian Premier League over this two-match series.

-Reuters

Aprilia wins in Argentina

Aleix Espargaro claimed his maiden MotoGP win at the Argentine Grand Prix to move to the top of the championship after an intense ride which also gave Aprilia their first ever victory in the MotoGP era.

Pole sitter Espargaro, competing in his 200th MotoGP race, was overtaken before the first turn after Pramac's Jorge Martin had a perfect launch off the line as both riders managed to get away and built a two-second gap on the rest of the field.

The two traded places repeatedly at the front but Espargaro finally reclaimed the lead when he made an overtaking move stick with five laps to go while the battle also allowed Suzuki's Alex Rins to cut the deficit to less than a second.

But Espargaro held on to take the chequered flag at the Termas de Rio Hondo circuit ahead of Martin while Rins finished third for an all-Spanish podium.

The result also ensured nine different riders have finished on the podium after three races this season, underlining how open the 2022 season has been.

-Reuters

Woods still a chance for Masters

Tiger Woods will make a "game-time decision" on competing at next week's Masters, the five-times champion said as he continues his recovery from the serious leg injuries he suffered in a car crash in February 2021.

Woods said six weeks ago that he had a "long way to go" in his recovery but speculation mounted with each passing day that his return could come at the April 7-10 Masters as he refrained from removing his name from the field of competitors.

"I will be heading up to Augusta today to continue my preparation and practice. It will be a game-time decision on whether I compete," Woods said on Twitter

Woods' single-car crash resulted in a three-week hospital stay in Los Angeles where he faced the possibility of having his right leg amputated. He was then confined to a hospital-type bed for three months at his home in South Florida.

The 46-year-old Woods has not played on the PGA Tour since the November 2020 Masters. His only event since the accident came last December when he finished runner-up alongside his son in a 36-hole exhibition played on a flat course with no rough.

Playing at Augusta National, however, represents one of the more taxing walks on the PGA Tour given its undulating terrain that all but assures golfers will hit from any number of uneven lies during the week.

-Reuters