Golf: Lightning threat to take PGA into fifth day

Michael Campbell

SPRINGFIELD, New Jersey - The final golf round of the 87th US PGA Championship was suspended until tomorrow after a second lightning stoppage halted play with Phil Mickelson one stroke clear of the field after 13 holes.

Officials said play would resume at Baltusrol Golf Club's Lower Course at 10.05am local time (2am tomorrow NZT).

Mickelson, last year's US Masters champion, had just rolled in a 12-foot birdie putt at the par-four 13th to get to four-under for the tournament when a flash of lightning appeared above the course.

Officials immediately halted play, a storm warning having been in place at Baltusrol since an earlier lightning stoppage in view of possible thunderstorms and high wind.

The first suspension, which lasted 39 minutes, came shortly before overnight co-leaders Mickelson and his fellow American Davis Love III teed off in the final round.

At the second stoppage, Mickelson led by one from Australia's Steve Elkington, after 15 holes, and Thomas Bjorn of Denmark, after 14.

World No 1 Tiger Woods was a further stroke back at two-under-par 278 after carding a two-under 68.

New Zealand's Michael Campbell birdied the 18th hole to seal another likely top-10 major tournament finish with a final round 69.

New Zealand's US Open champion had three birdies -- all on the back nine -- to go with two bogeys as he ended with a 72-hole total of one-under 279.

When play was suspended Campbell was tied for seventh with South African Retief Goosen and Australian Geoff Ogilvy.

Campbell began the final round six shots off the pace but a charge at the lead was ruled out when he bogeyed the first hole and ended the front nine one-over.

He also bogeyed the par-four 10th before notching his first birdie on the par-four 11th. He added birdies on the 14th and par-five 18th.

Mickelson and Davis Love III, one ahead overnight at six under, both struggled for accuracy off the tee in their respective bids to secure a second career major.

Love, the 1997 US PGA champion, watched his challenge unravel with a disastrous run of three consecutive bogeys from the third and was four over for the day and two under overall with six holes remaining.

Mickelson was tied for second place at three under with Bjorn, but his collapse was even more dramatic as he squandered a three-shot lead after four holes.

The American left-hander had looked in command until bogeys on six, seven and nine and another at the 10th sent him tumbling down the leaderboard.

Lying just two shots off the pace at two under were Woods and defending champion Vijay Singh.

Singh, who had gone 29 holes without a bogey, ran into early problems with a double bogey on the third followed by another dropped shot at the fourth to slip back to five off the pace.

Once again, the Fijian was let down by his putter and a bit of bad luck, three-putting from 10 feet for his double on the third.

Singh, however, continued to battle and put himself back in the frame with a birdie on eight to get back to two-under.

Woods' bid to mount a last-day charge was slow to spark as he bogeyed two of the first three holes to slip eight strokes back.

Chances of a third US PGA title seemed remote as Woods reached the turn but three birdies on the back nine, including 17 and 18, earned him a two-under 68 and left him in the clubhouse waiting to see if the leaders would come back to him.

- REUTERS