Charles Krupa, Associated Press Phil Mickelson tees off on No. 15 in the final round of the lightning-delayed 87th PGA Championship at the Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J. Click photo for larger image. Tournament Preview: Hardy keeps Dye coming back to toughen Mystic Rock Singh likes to play a lot of golf and enjoys winning Even with his hometown on his mind, Toms happy to be playing Mystic Rock 84 Lumber Classic Notebook: Changes made at Mystic Rock getting mixed reviews from pros Hardy commitmented to elevating his tournament to the top Charities benefit from tournament Hardys go the extra mile to attract -- and keep -- top players Working behind scenes keeps energetic tournament director on his toes Tournament Data: 84 Lumber Classic at Mystic Rock Tournament History: 84 Lumber Classic at Mystic Rock 84 Lumber Classic Top Players 2005 84 Lumber Pro-Am Tee Times: 9/14/05

Maybe it was the cards on birthdays and Mother's and Father's Day. Or the presents for the children. Or maybe it was Phil Mickelson's endorsement contract with Ford Motor Co., one of the primary sponsors of the tournament.

But it most definitely was not dumb luck.

Mickelson, ranked No. 3 in the world and winner of the 2005 PGA Championship, is making his debut in the 84 Lumber Classic this weekend at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort & Spa in Farmington, Pa.

The addition of Mickelson adds luster to an already strong field that includes No. 2-ranked and defending champion Vijay Singh. Mickelson, 35, nicknamed Lefty, also won the 2004 Masters to give him two major titles.

"Getting Mickelson to come is another statement the tournament continues to grow in stature," said Jeff Nobers, media director for the 84 Lumber Classic and vice president of corporate communications for 84 Lumber Co. "Joe [Hardy] personally reached out to Phil on several occasions."

So did Nobers and other administrators involved with the 84 Lumber Classic.

"We send him notes and cards as little reminders to him that we exist," Nobers said. "The fact we've continued to communicate with Phil shows how much we want him to come play in our tournament.

"To get No. 3, to go with No. 4, and have another four players ranked in the Top 15 in the world is very unusual for a fall tournament."

The purse for the tournament has been raised $200,000 to $4.4 million. This is the sixth year of the event and the third year as the 84 Lumber Classic. It previously was the SEI Pennsylvania Classic and the Marconi Pennsylvania Classic.

"Once the players come and experience the course, the resort and the hospitality, it gives you a better shot at having them come back again," Nobers said. "They feel wanted."

Chris O'Meara, Associated Press Phil Mickelson celebrates with his caddie, Jim Mackay, after winning the 87th PGA Championship this year at the Baltusrol Golf Club. Click photo for larger image.

The tournament received a huge boost last year when Singh, who had supplanted Tiger Woods as the No. 1 player in the world, signed an endorsement contract to represent 84 Lumber. John Daly was the spokesman and marquee attraction the first year of the 84 Lumber Classic.

Hardy made a push to get Mickelson in the field last year, but he told tournament officials that his schedule was set and he didn't want to make adjustments because of family obligations.

This has been a banner year for Mickelson, who has won four tournaments and finished in the Top 10 nine times in 18 events. The highlight was a one-stroke victory over Steve Elkington and Thomas Bjorn in the PGA Championship at Baltusrol Golf Club with a 4-under 276 total.

Mickelson's victory, which stretched over five days because Sunday's round was washed out, won a major for the second consecutive year to join Woods as the only players to do that in the past 10 years. Mickelson also became the seventh wire-to-wire winner in the history of the tournament, joining Woods (2000), Nick Price (1994), Hal Sutton (1983) Raymond Floyd (1969-82) and Bobby Nichols (1964).

Mickelson's other wins in 2005 were the FBR Open (Feb. 3-6), AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-AM (Feb. 10-13) and Bell South Classic (March 31-April 4). He has won $5,609,025 in prize money to rank third and is second in birdies with 4.39 per round and 17th in driving distance with an average of 300.1 yards.

"As Mr. Hardy always said, we try to make the tournament bigger and better every year," Nobers said. "[Getting Mickelson] elevates the field from last year."