On Tuesday morning David Toms was running errands and putting the final touches to an Intercollegiate golf event he hosts at Louisiana State University. Three hours later he was booking a flight to Bermuda and getting ready to play in this year's Grand Slam at Port Royal.

A hectic 24 hours have now extended a season that Toms had said he was disappointed to be finishing, and will give the American a chance to continue the good form he has shown over the past several weeks.

Tied for third at last week's McGladrey Classic, a tournament he had a chance to win on the final day, the 2001 PGA Championship winner was tied for 11 at the Viking Classic a week earlier, and finished tied for 15 at the BMW Championship in September.

"I have played well the last month or so, this is a bonus tournament, and I'm looking forward to coming in, competing, having a chance to continue the good play and hopefully having a chance to win," he said.

"It's been a hectic 24 hours, I was on the road running some errands, I got the word, and now I look forward to coming to Bermuda.

"It's a great event, I played in it once before (in 2001) when it was in Hawaii. I'm looking forward to seeing a new place, and playing some golf."

And although the Grand Slam has a slightly different atmosphere to a normal tour event, Toms is looking forward to taking part in a competition he thinks he has a chance of winning.

"I think you approach this (the Grand Slam) slightly differently," said Toms. "It's probably a little laid back, and, to me, it's one of those rewards for winning a major championship. Obviously getting in, the way I got in, it's a little bit different, but still, it's a reward for some good play along the way.

"It is, certainly, a more laid back atmosphere when you only have four players, there will probably be a lot of socialising going on, and it's golf, but it's probably a little more fun and not quite as intense as your normal event would be."

With his regular season over, the Louisiana state alum, and self-confessed Tigers fan, has been watching his team make an undefeated start to the season. He'll be back at Tiger Stadium for Saturday's game against McNeese State and will head to Bermuda after the opening day of his golf event at LSU.

"I have a college tournament that I sponsor down at Louisiana State, I was going to be there all day Monday and Tuesday while they play the event, but now I'm going to be in Bermuda instead and I'm sure they'll understand," he said.

"It's a fun time of year, and with us (LSU Tigers) being 6-0 everybody's pretty excited by that. I'll be down there this weekend, we have a little tailgate party where the teams come in, and we feed them and we get together at the football game on the Saturday night. The Sunday we have our College-Am, so after that's over with I'll be headed to Bermuda."

Come Monday, Toms will team up with US Open champion Graeme McDowell, fellow PGA Championship winner Martin Kaymer, and triple-major winner Ernie Els. Toms and Els have been playing against, and alongside, each other for 20 years, while he played at this year's Masters with McDowell.

His only knowledge of Kaymer however comes from an incident at the PGA Championship, where the German insisted on walking to the course through a thunder storm.

"I was paired with Graeme McDowell for the first two days of the Masters," said Toms. "I've never played with Martin Kaymer, but I've been around him and watched his game. We were stuck in a courtesy car together during a rain delay at the PGA Championship this year, and he was kind of funny.

"He was trying to get the car to take us in (to the course), but the driver was told to stay put because there was lightening, and said 'if you guys want to go in you'll have to walk in', so Martin ended up walking in with his caddie, which I thought was pretty funny. So that's the only time I've really got to talk to him very much.

"And then Ernie (Els) I've known for a long time. I played with Ernie in 1991 in Texarkana when he came over to play the Hogan Tour when he first turned pro, I guess.

"So I played with him then, so we go way back, and we've been playing ever since."

n Tickets for the three days of the Grand Slam tournament can be bought at the gate on the day, as well as beforehand online, at www.pga.com/grandslam, or at Port Royal Golf Course. A day pass is $20, and a season ticket is $50. For your chance to win a pass to the event, see Page 25 of today's Royal Gazette.