Elkington, Mickelson All Tied Up

Whatever happened to Steve Elkington? You know, the Aussie who won 10 tournaments during the 1990s, then dropped out of sight?

Well, he’s not washed up yet.

Elkington is in position for his first PGA Tour victory since 1999, reaching the midway point of the BellSouth Classic in Duluth, Ga., on Friday tied for the lead with Phil Mickelson at 11 under par.

“I like winning,” Elkington said. “I haven’t had many opportunities, but I do appreciate them when I get them.”

Elkington was a top contender through most of the 1990s; his victories included the ’95 PGA Championship and The Players Championship twice.

Injuries slowed Elkington the past two seasons, knocking him out of the top 100 on the money list. He has made the cut in only four of eight tournaments this year.

Elkington regained his old form on the grueling TPC at Sugarloaf course. After opening with a 64, he shot a three-under 69 to maintain a share of the top spot at 133.

“I’m only 39,” Elkington said. “I have plenty of time. I feel fit now, and I feel I have a lot of good golf in me. I am strong. I am big. I hit it plenty far ... and I’ve got all that experience now.”

Starting on the back side, Elkington birdied three of his first four holes. He blasted out of the sand for a short putt at 10, the longest hole on the course at 608 yards. He made a 20-foot putt at 12, followed by a 15-footer at the 13th.

Elkington had only one birdie and one bogey the rest of the round, settling into a par groove.

Mickelson, who opened with a 65, played the first 32 holes of the tournament without a bogey. He got to 12 under, then three-putted back-to-back greens before finishing with a 68.

The most interesting group included Retief Goosen and Jesper Parnevik.

Both had a pair of eagles, which included Parnevik making a hole-in-one at No. 8 with a five-iron from 217 yards. That shot, he quipped, wasn’t as memorable as the hole-in-one he made in a 1995 tournament in China.

“Heineken was sponsoring the tournament and gave me free beer for a year,” Parnevik said. “Today, I didn’t even get a car.”

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Ed Dougherty birdied the final two holes for a six-under 66 and a one-stroke lead over Hale Irwin after the first round of the Legends of Golf at St. Augustine, Fla.

The tournament is an official Senior PGA Tour event for the first time, with the Legends Division switching from a team format to individual play.

Dougherty, battling a cold and dizziness, was two under through 12 holes and added birdies on Nos. 13, 15, 17 and 18 on The King & Bear Course at the World Golf Village.

“I felt dizzy out there, my eyes hurt, I’m sure I’ve got a cold,” he said. “I had my caddie read all my putts today. He did a good job.

That included a 50-foot birdie putt on the second hole that got Dougherty off to a good start. He birdied the par-five 13th and closed with 20- and 25-foot birdie putts on Nos. 17 and 18.

Irwin, who has a senior-record 34 victories, had his only bogey of the round on No. 17, but rebounded with a birdie on No. 18.