US Tour Bell South Classic: Five players were locked in a play-off for the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta last night after Jose-Maria Olazabal missed a putt for the outright win on the 18th green.

Olazabal was joined in the play-off by Phil Mickelson, Brandt Jobe, Arjun Atwal and Rich Been after they all finished on eight under par for 54 holes.

Olazabal and Mickelson both had some catching up to do after disappointing front nines in the final round of the BellSouth Classic in Atlanta.

Each looking for a pre-Masters boost in an event which still needed an extra day even though it had been reduced to 54 holes, the pair went into the day in joint second place, one behind Scott McCarron.

Masters champion Mickelson, however, managed only an outward 37 and Olazabal, bidding to get back his US Tour card with a European record seventh victory on the circuit, was one better.

It left little-known American Lucas Glover and Indian Arjun Atwal taking over at the top on eight under, Glover after birdies at the 12th and 13th and Atwal with a closing 64.

Incredibly, European tour member Atwal did not know he was playing in the event until Friday afternoon when American Steve Flesch withdrew to prepare for Augusta when the second day was washed out.

Mickelson's last round began well enough with a two on the short second, but he spun his pitch to the fifth into the creek for a double bogey six.

And after birdies on the next two brought him only one off the pace he followed with two bogeys - and needed a 15-foot putt for that on the ninth after hacking out of the trees.

Olazabal went to the turn in 36 with a birdie at the sixth being cancelled out with a bogey at the next. But after a 25-foot putt on the 189-yard 11th for a second successive birdie he was only one behind again.