The Associated Press

CARLSBAD, Calif. - Tiger Woods and Ernie Els might get together on a San Diego course this year, after all.

Els has been invited to take part in "Battle at the Bridges," a Monday night golf exhibition that previously was played at Bighorn. This year's made-for-television event will be played July 28 at The Bridges at Rancho Santa Fe.

The world's top two players would play with each other - not against each other.

Three sources involved with the event, speaking on condition of anonymity, said discussions are under way with Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia to be the other team in what probably would be a best-ball match.

Ratings have tapered since Garcia beat Woods at Bighorn three years ago, the only time Woods has lost the prime-time match since it began in 1999.

Organizers feel Woods has nothing to gain by playing a singles match, and the last two team matches involving the LPGA Tour (Annika Sorenstam and Karrie Webb) and seniors (Jack Nicklaus and Lee Trevino) were a little flat.

Getting Woods and Els together in prime time will help (they never did get to face off at the Match Play Championship). It would be equally important to involve Mickelson. He has been Woods' chief foil over the past two years and also happens to lives in the same neighborhood as The Bridges.

Another match that was briefly considered would have brought together the biggest stars from three sports - Woods and Michael Jordan against Mike Weir and Wayne Gretzky. That was dismissed because ABC Sports wanted to make sure the competition did not turn into a hit-and-giggle affair.