Elkington ends dispute with Australian PGA

Steve Elkington has ended a long-running feud with officials in his homeland and will return to play at the Australian Masters in December, the former U.S. PGA champion said on Tuesday.

The Texas-based Australian has not played in his home country since he helped the International team beat the U.S. in the 1998 President's Cup at Royal Melbourne.

Elkington expressed his anger with local officials in 1995 when, as U.S. PGA champion, he arrived for the Australian Open at Melbourne's Kingston Heath to find large posters describing the event as a two-man battle between (eventual winner) Greg Norman and John Daly.

"Melbourne is one of the best places to play golf in the world," Elkington, 40, said in a statement on Tuesday.

"It's been too long since I last played in Australia and I am looking forward to returning.

"With the recuperation from (shoulder) surgery, obviously I haven't played much this year, but things are progressing nicely and I got the all-clear to start hitting balls again last Wednesday."

Elkington, a 10-times winner on the U.S. PGA Tour, said he would play the Australian Masters at Melbourne's Huntingdale from December 4-7 and the Australian PGA the following week in Queensland.

The 1992 Australian Open winner told local newspapers last month he was also interested in playing in that tournament at Moonah Links near Melbourne from December 15-18.

"I am certainly going to play the Australian Open again at some stage in the future," he said.

"None of it (previous feud) makes any difference to me at the end of the day."

Elkington is 184th on the U.S. Tour money list.

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