Trevor Immelman has probably earned his right to enjoy a few genial rounds of golf on a sub-tropical Island during next week's Grand Slam of Golf at Mid Ocean Club.

Less than a year ago the affable South African was lying in a hospital bed, pumped full of morphine, after having a tumour the size of a golf ball removed from between his lungs and diaphragm.

Incredibly, just a few months after that cancer scare Immelman would have a very different type of 'drug' running through his body, when he beat golfer par-excellence Tiger Woods to win his first Major, the US Masters.

For Immelman that glorious April afternoon fending off Woods' ominous challenge during a difficult, blustery, final round at Augusta National Golf Club was the defining moment in his young career.

"A whole range of emotions flooded through me when I won the Masters, mostly pure ecstasy, excitement and relief," Immelman told The Royal Gazette yesterday. "My wife Carmenita and boy Jacob were present to watch me and it really was a dream come true.

"Just months earlier I'd been lying in hospital after having a benign tumour removed so it's pretty incredible that I went on to win my first Major so soon afterwards.

"It's been my defining season. Beating Tiger Woods was a bit special as well, it doesn't happen very often."

On the one hand, Immelman's ordeal taught him that golf was not everything but on the other it resolved him to make the most his God-given talent.

"That experience changed my perspective," he said. "There were a few awful days when my family had to wait to find out whether the tumour was benign or malignant.

"Thankfully I was out of it on morphine to think about it too much. It made me realise that I live a fortunate life.

"I won't lie, though, as soon as I started hitting a few balls my competitive edge returned."

Immelman, 28, admits his competitive edge will be slightly neutered during the annual off-season extravaganza and is viewing the trip as more of a family vacation than a meaningful golf contest.

"Pretty much my whole family will be coming over to Bermuda for the Grand Slam," he said. "Obviously in any tournament you play you want to win but I will be viewing it as a vacation as well.

"We've all been playing so hard and now the PGA Tour and FedEx Cup is wrapped up this is our downtime.

"I'm looking to recuperate, spend some time with my family and enjoy some golf. I've never been to Bermuda before so I'm going to stay for a few extra days."

Joining Immelman on Mid Ocean's picturesque sea view course will be compatriot Retief Goosen, 39, who qualified for the event by finishing second in the Major Champions Points List.

They represented South Africa together at last year's World Cup in China and Immelman, who as a young amateur almost hero-worshipped Goosen, is relishing the prospect of some stress free golf alongside his fellow countryman.

"It's great that Retief will be in Bermuda as well," said Immelman, who became the first South African to win the US Masters in 30 years.

"I know Retief very well. He's about ten years older than me and is someone I've always looked up to."

Immelman, Goosen, Padraig Harrington and Jim Furyk make up the Grand Slam's elite foursome who will play for the pink jacket next week.