Elkington misses deja vu birdie putt

SPRINGFIELD, N.J. - When Steve Elkington had to hit a lay-up shot out of the trees lining the left side of the 18th fairway at Baltusrol Golf Club in the final round of the PGA, it brought to mind a similar situation 14 years ago, when he won his first big tournament on the PGA Tour.

Elkington's punch shot out of the trees Monday was well- executed and rolled to a good yardage from the cup of the par-5 hole: 96 yards. But when he walked to his ball, he discovered it had rolled into a divot.

In the 1991 Players Championship, Elkington's tee shot at the par-4 18th hole of the TPC at Sawgrass Stadium Course also rolled into a divot.

But Elkington hit 3-iron within 18 feet of the hole and made the birdie putt to win The Players by one shot.

This time, Elkington also gouged a good shot out of the divot, getting his ball to within 12 feet of the hole. But the outcome was different, as he barely missed a birdie putt that would have put him into a playoff with Phil Mickelson.

Elkington, like most golfers, wasn't moaning about bad breaks. He still had a birdie chance, and that was enough for him.

"I was thinking to myself, 'this could be like The Players," he said. "I was in a divot, and I made a nice shot in there."

BACK TO HAWAII: By winning the PGA, Mickelson earned a return trip to the Poipu Bay Golf Course in Kauai, Hawaii, for the PGA Grand Slam of Golf on Nov. 22-23.

Last year, Mickelson shot a final-round 59 for a 36-hole total of 17-under 127 and won the off-season event, which assembles the winners of the four majors.

Joining Mickelson will be Masters Tournament and British Open champion Tiger Woods, U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell and Retief Goosen.

Because Woods won multiple majors, past major winners pick a fourth player through a points system based on finishes in majors. Goosen tied for third in the Masters, for 11th in the U.S. Open, for fifth in the British Open and for sixth in the PGA.

That edged out Vijay Singh, who tied for fifth in the Masters, for sixth in the U.S. Open, for fifth in the British Open and for 10th in the PGA.

RATINGS UP FOR SUNDAY: Final-round coverage of the PGA on CBS was up 20 percent over the 2004 PGA at Whistling Straits, and improved 27 percent for the weekend coverage.

Sunday's final round, which was suspended by lightning, earned a 5.9 rating and 13 share, an increase over the 4.9 rating and 10 share in 2004.

In the final 30 minutes before play was halted Sunday, the ratings were 7.5 percent, with a 15 share.

ON THE LEFT: Mickelson is the first left-hander to win the PGA. Bob Charles won the 1963 British Open and Mike Weir the 2003 Masters, leaving the U.S. Open as the only major without a left-handed winner.