Steve

Elkington

Elkington has been out for a couple of months after withdrawing from Pebble Beach with a rib injury. After a birdie at the par-4 first hole today, he traded five pars with eight bogeys before darkness suspended play for the day. Fog delayed the start of the tournament by two hours, the mercury didn’t rise above 50 degrees and rain likely slowed play. The entire late draw of 78 golfers was stranded at the horn. They will return on Friday at 8:00 a.m. PT. to complete their openers.

Elkington is 0-for-2 on the PGA TOUR this year. He’s withdrawn from both starts, the most recent of which with a rib injury at Pebble Beach two months ago. He has Past Champion status and possesses no fantasy value.

We last saw Elk at the Humana Challenge three weeks ago when he withdrew during his third round. He didn’t submit an explanation and he didn’t do anything to quell doubt over anything that might be wrong. He hit 11 (of 14) fairways today but only nine GIR. His only highlight was a bogey conversion of 27'10" at the 12th hole. He’s playing 2012 on Past Champion status and will turn 50 in December, so his has virtually zero fantasy value.

The Aussie started on the 10th hole of Spyglass Hill and sat 4-over through five holes when he called it quits. He was an aggregate 5-over through 23 holes of the tournament. This is his second WD in as many starts this year. Elk wrote the following on Twitter shortly after his withdrawal was posted: “For those who follow me .. I’ve withdrawn from AT&T pro-am with a reoccurring Rib injury.”

Elkington was 3-over-par through 11 holes at PGA West’s Nicklaus Course -- and an aggregate even par through 47 holes -- when he called it quits. He sat several strokes below the cut line and had virtually no chance of surviving the 54-hole cut. Should an explanation surface for today’s decision, we will relay it to you. In the meantime, he is not listed in the published field of this week’s Farmers Insurance Open.

Elk last competed at the Humana Challenge two weeks ago but withdrew after 47 holes. He’ll be making his 20th career appearance at Pebble Beach. He’s missed six of his last eight cuts at the tournament but also snuck in a T16 in 2010.

Last week’s T-45 at the Texas Open was the first made cut for Elkington since having to withdraw from the Arnold Palmer Invitational with migraines.

A full day of golf is on tap today in Irving, Texas as a high-pressure system has planted itself over the region. Steve Elkington, who started the week as the second alternate, turn in a 4-under-par 32-34=66 to join Jason Day and Joe Durant (the first alternate) in the clubhouse with a share of the lead. Elk hit 12 greens and took 26 putts, five of which disappeared for birdies, including an attempt from 18'7" at the par-5 7th hole.

Elk shot a 31-35 in his second round that included six birdies, including conversions of 10'0" and 12'8" at the 11th and 13th holes. He’s been deadly with the flat stick thus far, taking just 51 putts (24 GIR). The 47-year-old hasn’t won on the PGA TOUR since the 1999 Doral-Ryder Open.