Steve Elkington took scant consolation from his agonisingly close runner-up finish at the US PGA Championship.

"There's no moral victory coming second in a major. Nobody remembers you but family and friends," the 42-year-old Australian said after falling one shot shy of winner Phil Mickelson at Baltusrol.

American Mickelson made a tap-in birdie at the par-five 18th to clinch his second major title, while Elkington tied for second with Dane Thomas Bjorn.

It was a bitter pill for Elkington, whose win at the 1995 PGA remains the most recent major victory by an Australian. But he had few regrets about his performance, other than the fact it wasn't good enough to win.

"I squeezed about as much out of it as I could," he said.

"I don't know where I'd do much different. I just needed one more putt.

"It's very disappointing to come so close. There are not many guys who've won major championships and you just don't get many chances.

"They're so hard to win. Tiger collects them like they're nothing but for the rest of us, it's very difficult."

Elkington, who had three holes to play when the weather-delayed final round resumed, played in front of Mickelson and had a chance to post a score to chase.

He made regulation pars at the 16th and 17th holes but the par-five 18th was a real adventure. He horribly pulled his tee shot, but his ball hit a tree and ricocheted back into the fairway, although too far away to have a crack at the green with his second shot.

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