To Him, Health Matters

What’s the bigger news? Is it that Steve Elkington isn’t currently recovering from a viral infection, sinus allergies, shoulder surgery or viral meningitis, or that he shot a two-under-par 68 on opening day at the PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club?

At 42, Elkington’s best days might be behind him, but then so are all the physical ailments he has battled through over the years. His last operation was shoulder surgery, for the second time, two years ago when he missed all of the 2003 season.

It has been 10 years since Elkington’s breakthrough tournament, the 1995 PGA Championship at Riviera Country Club, where he closed with a 64 and then birdied the first playoff hole to defeat Colin Montgomerie.

He has won four times since. He even has a couple of top-10 finishes this year, having made $762,850, and is feeling good about himself and his game.

“I’ve had a few things happen, but I’ve always played well when I didn’t have anything wrong with me. What a shock,” he said.

“I’ve played a lot of my career up in this echelon ... so I don’t know why I wouldn’t be up there again if I was feeling well.”

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Montgomerie, who finished second to Tiger Woods at the British Open, almost matched Woods shot for shot during the first round of the PGA Championship.

Unfortunately, Woods struggled at five-over 75 and Montgomerie checked in at 77.

Montgomerie, at least, had an excuse for his poor round as he is battling a wrist injury. Except, he wouldn’t use that as an excuse.

“I just hadn’t had any sustained practice to get some rhythm, that is what was wrong this morning,” he said.

To ease his pain, somewhat, Montgomerie on Wednesday was named the European Tour golfer of the month for July after his runner-up finish at St. Andrews.

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Question: How is it that 47-year-old Hal Sutton, the 1983 PGA champion, could have survived a sweltering heat Thursday to shoot one-under 69?

Answer: New Jersey is nothing when it comes to the heat Sutton grew up with down south.

“It’s bearable,” Sutton said. “That’s the way it is in Louisiana.”

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This week’s David Duval watch: The former British Open champion and world’s top-ranked player shot seven-over 77.

Is there any good that could come out of this? Well, you could say this was as close to hanging with Woods as he has done in a while.

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Here’s what Michael Campbell has been up to in the majors since his win at the U.S. Open.

First, he returned home to a ticker-tape parade in New Zealand in front of 130,000 people.

Campbell then went to the British Open, where he finished tied for fifth and enjoyed not being confused anymore with other players on tour.

“I’ve been called Vijay Singh, Chad Campbell, that’s a bit of a mystery, really,” he said. “Chad Campbell, Stephen Ames, Omar Uresti, but all of the people here now know me as Michael Campbell, so that’s pretty cool.”

Campbell, though, struggled with a 73.

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So what’s so tough, really, about the 650-yard 17th hole at Baltusrol?

Kenny Perry, using a 60-degree wedge from 80 yards, made eagle three on the hole to cap his round of one-under 69.

“I don’t know how I did it,” Perry said. “Kind of shocked me ... I couldn’t believe it when they all started yelling and jumping up and down.... Pretty neat.”