Els Gets Third Berth in 30th PGA Grand Slam of Golf


Open champion Ernie Els, who captured his fourth major championship Sunday during a stunning chain of events over the closing four holes at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, has become the third player to earn a berth in the 30th PGA Grand Slam of Golf.

The 42-year-old knocked home a 15-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole Sunday at Royal Lytham & St. Annes in Lancashire, England, to pull within a shot of leader Adam Scott. Els then waited as Scott bogeyed 17 and missed a par putt on 18 that would have forced a playoff, giving the World Golf Hall of Fame member his second Claret Jug to go with two U.S. Open titles.

Els will join Masters champion Bubba Watson, U.S. Open winner Webb Simpson and next month's PGA champion in the PGA Grand Slam of Golf, October 22-24, in Bermuda at Port Royal Golf Course.

It will mark Els' fourth trip to the season-ending event that boasts the most difficult qualification requirement in the game - a major championship.

"Amazing," said Els after his latest major. "I'm still numb. It still hasn't set in. It will probably take quite a few days because I haven't been in this position for 10 years, obviously. So it's just crazy, crazy, crazy getting here."

Els tempered his celebration, paying tribute to Scott. "First of all, I feel for Adam Scott. He's a great friend of mine," said Els. "We both wanted to win very badly. But you know, that's the nature of the beast. That's why we're out here. You win, you lose. It was my time for some reason."

The final member of the foursome for the 30th PGA Grand Slam of Golf will be the winner of the 94th PGA Championship, August 9-12, at the Ocean Course in Kiawah Island, S.C.

The PGA Grand Slam of Golf features a $1.35 million purse, with the winner receiving $600,000, second place $300,000, third place $250,000 and fourth place $200,000.

The PGA Grand Slam of Golf will be televised by TNT to a worldwide audience, estimated to be 88.9 million U.S. homes and international viewers in more than 100 countries.

The above report is courtesy of the PGA of America, which oversees the Grand Slam of Golf. For more information, visit www.pga.com.