Floyd, Elkington Take Title by a Shot : Golf: Birdie on the final hole puts the team at 28 under par and prevents a 10-player playoff in the Shark Shootout. The two split first prize of $300,000.

The first 53 holes of the three-day, 54-hole Shark Shootout at the Sherwood Country Club eliminated only half of the 10-team field. But Raymond Floyd and Steve Elkington prevented a 10-player playoff with a birdie on the final hole Sunday for a one-stroke victory at 28-under par.

With the field playing under the scramble format, host Greg Norman and Nick Price shot a tournament-record 55 to finish 25 under, and four other teams shot 60 or better, including a 56 by defending champions Tom Kite and Davis Love III. Price and Norman’s round featured 13 birdies and two eagles.

Kite and Love were one of five teams that began the 18th hole tied for the lead at 27 under.

“We said (Saturday) that we were lucky that teams like Norman and Price, Kite and Love were kind of out of it,” Elkington said, smiling.

“And we were right--just.”

And as he had over the first two days, Floyd easily handled the 446-yard 18th. Friday, Floyd’s iron shot came to rest three feet from the hole for an easy birdie. Saturday, he hit one within four feet with the same result.

Three teams already were in the clubhouse at 27 under when Floyd, playing his drive, pulled a seven-iron from his bag in the 18th fairway and put his team five feet from the flag.

“His worst of the week,” Elkington joked.

It was far from wrapped up, however. Hale Irwin and Bruce Lietzke, playing in the same foursome and also at 27-under, had a tricky eight-footer for birdie.

Lietzke’s effort missed low, slightly off the right edge of the cup. Irwin also missed. It marked the second year in a row the pair finished second.

“If I went out and reread that putt, I’d probably miss it to the right again,” Irwin said, shaking his head.

Elkington, though, couldn’t quite close the door. His putt also missed over the right lip, putting the pressure on Floyd.

Cool as you please, Floyd drained it, dead center. He and Elkington split $300,000.

“That (pressure) is what it’s all about,” Floyd said. “That’s what we all strive to do. It was a lot of fun.”

Fun wasn’t the word Floyd used to describe his team’s round of 62, calling the early stages of its effort “indifferent.” Through 12 holes, the pair was five under, the worst round of the day.

“We were very fortunate to even have a chance, the way we played,” Floyd said.

However, Elkington hit a six-iron to within two feet of the hole for a tap-in birdie on the 15th, a 186-yard par three. His 232-yard two-iron on the par-five 16th came to rest 15 feet from the flag, and he made eagle to bring the team into the growing gridlock at 27 under.

Kite and Love, Mark Calcavecchia and Brad Faxon and Mark O’Meara and Curtis Strange couldn’t manage a birdie at the 18th and finished in the four-way tie for second.

Kite and Love started the day seven shots off the pace, while Calcavecchia and Faxon--who shot 59--were four shots back.