Golf: Mickelson wins five-man playoff

DULUTH, Georgia - American golfer Phil Mickelson won the rain-hit BellSouth Classic after being taken to a fourth playoff hole by Rich Beem at the TPC at Sugarloaf today.

Masters champion Mickelson will head to Augusta with his 26th PGA Tour victory after sinking a birdie put on the 17th to see off the brave challenge of Beem, the 2002 PGA champion.

"I'm very excited at how I played the back side today and I'm looking forward to the Masters," world No 4 Mickelson said.

"There were probably six to 10 people who could have won, should have won, this tournament."

New Zealand's Michael Long finished in a share of 26th place after a final round of even par 72, containing two birides and two bogeys, left him on 213, five shots outside the playoff.

The playoff began with five players -- Arjun Atwal, Brandt Jobe and Jose Maria Olazabal as well as Mickelson and Beem -- after they had tied on eight-under-par 208 after three rounds.

Atwal and Jobe dropped out at the first playoff hole -- the 18th -- after missing their putts for par while the other three parred the hole and moved on to the 17th.

Two-time Masters champion Olazabal, of Spain, had blown two chances to clinch the title with birdie putts -- one on the 18th and another on the first playoff hole. He then bowed out after his fifth shot landed in the water on the third playoff hole.

With the first two days of the US$5 million ($7.16 million) tournament wiped out by torrential rain, officials had been forced to shorten the event to 54 holes but an extra day was still required.

Now those qualified for the Masters starting on Friday (NZ time) have to race across the state to Augusta National, including Mickelson and Olazabal, who was champion there in 1994 and 1999.

- REUTERS