Sports News Roundup: Grosjean to miss Abu Dhabi career swansong; Mariners agree to one-year deal with OF Haniger and more

Rallying: Ogier wins seventh world title in eight years Sebastien Ogier clinched the world rally championship for the seventh time in eight years after the Frenchman won the season-ending Rally Monza on Sunday.

Following is a summary of current sports news briefs.

Motor racing: Mick Schumacher bags Formula Two title before graduation to F1

An 'overwhelmed' Mick Schumacher graduated to Formula One as the 2020 Formula Two champion on Sunday despite failing to score in his last race before joining the U.S.-owned Haas F1 team. The 21-year-old son of seven-time world champion and Ferrari great Michael was 18th in a sprint race won by Indian driver Jehan Daruvala while his sole title rival, Callum Ilott, finished 10th with only the top eight scoring.

Rallying: Ogier wins seventh world title in eight years

Sebastien Ogier clinched the world rally championship for the seventh time in eight years after the Frenchman won the season-ending Rally Monza on Sunday. French drivers named Sebastien have now won 16 of the last 17 titles, with Sebastien Loeb winning nine in a row with Citroen before Ogier, 36, took over at the top from 2013.

Golf: Brilliant Bezuidenhout claims successive wins on European Tour

Home favourite Christiaan Bezuidenhout picked up back-to-back wins on the European Tour after a final round 69 proved enough for him to claim the South African Open title at the Gary Player Country Club on Sunday. Bezuidenhout carded only three bogeys over the four days with some exceptional hitting off the tee and consistency with the putter as he finished with a tournament total of 18-under par.

Kenya's Kandie smashes half marathon world record in Valencia

Kenya's Kibiwott Kandie smashed the half marathon world record by 29 seconds on Sunday, becoming the first person to break 58 minutes at the Valencia Half Marathon. Kandie, who finished second at the world half marathon championships in Gdynia in October, finished the Spanish annual race in 57 minutes and 32 seconds, breaking the previous record of 58:01 set by compatriot Geoffrey Kamworor in September 2019.

Top 25 roundup: No. 18 Coastal Carolina topples No. 13 BYU

CJ Marable rushed for 132 yards and two touchdowns as No. 18 Coastal Carolina knocked off No. 13 Brigham Young 22-17 in an unusual matchup between undefeated teams Saturday at Conway, S.C. Brigham Young (9-1) was stopped on the 1-yard line on the game's last play. The outcome gave the Chanticleers (10-0) their most significant victory in program history.

UFC to slash roster before year-end, says Dana White

The Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is set to cut 60 mixed martial artists from its roster before the end of the year, president Dana White told a media conference after Saturday's card in Las Vegas. White was responding to a question about Cuban middleweight Yoel Romero, who was recently dropped by the organisation despite fighting for the title as recently as last March. The UFC currently lists 724 active fighters on its website (www.ufc.com), comprising 117 women and 607 men.

Reports: Mariners agree to one-year deal with OF Haniger

The Seattle Mariners agreed to a one-year, $3.01 million deal with outfielder Mitch Haniger, according to multiple reports on Saturday. Haniger missed the entire 2020 season and hasn't played since he ruptured a testicle on June 6, 2019. He suffered the injury when he was struck by his own foul ball while batting in a game against the Houston Astros.

World Athletics to allow 'development shoes' if they meet technical specifications

Athletes will be allowed to wear shoes still under development in international competitions and events where World Athletics rules apply, upon approval of the shoes' specifications, after a rule change by the sport's governing body. The shoes will have to meet the same technical specifications as other approved shoes, World Athletics said.

Former Ryder Cup player Alliss, the 'voice of golf', dies aged 89

Former Ryder Cup player Peter Alliss, who won 31 tournaments in his career before a successful stint as a commentator in which he was referred to as the "voice of golf", has died at the age of 89, the European Tour said on Sunday. Englishman Alliss, who was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame for his services to the sport in 2012, died peacefully at his home on Saturday, the Tour added in a statement.

Grosjean to miss Abu Dhabi career swansong

Romain Grosjean will miss the Formula One season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with the Frenchman flying to Switzerland to continue his recovery from injuries sustained in a fiery crash at last week's Bahrain Grand Prix. Forced to sit out Sunday's Sakhir Grand Prix, the Frenchman had been hoping to return for what looked set to be his Formula One swansong in Abu Dhabi on Dec. 13.