Wednesday October 20, 2010, 09:45 PM

Ernie Els reeled off three straight back-nine birdies on Wednesday to record a one-shot victory in the PGA Grand Slam of Golf.

Els, an alternate in the four-man tournament designed to feature the year's four major championship winners, carded a two-under 69 for a five-under total of 137.

Els, standing in for Masters champion Phil Mickelson, had a 36-hole total of five-under 137, good enough for a one-stroke victory over American David Toms.

Toms, a former PGA champion who replaced British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen in the two-day event, led by as many as three on Wednesday but settled for a 71 for 138.

US Open champion Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland carded a 73 and PGA champion Martin Kaymer of Germany posted a 71. They finished eight shots adrift on 145.

Els notched his second victory in the tournament, his other title coming at Poipu Bay in Hawaii in 1997. That was the year that Els added a second US Open title to the one he captured in 1994. The most recent of the South African's three major triumphs was in the British Open in 2002.

Els launched his late birdie binge at 14, where Toms chipped in for par.

"When a guy does it once, you're thinking, 'Good shot.' When he does it twice in three holes, you're thinking maybe he's destined to win this thing," Els said of Toms' second chip-in of the day.

"It took a bit of the pressure off me in a way, where I freewheeled it, tried to see how close I could get to him."

Els grabbed a share of the lead with a birdie at 15 coupled with Toms' bogey. Els took the lead with his birdie at 16 and held on to it with a 10-foot par putt at 17.

"Made a very big putt there," Els said. "I was missing those putts. Maybe I was owed one, and that was it."

Els was due to depart for Asia for tournaments next week in Malaysia and the week after in Shanghai for the HSBC Champions.

He said he might skip the Dubai World Championship, however, because Kaymer has such a large lead in the Race to Dubai rankings.

"If it's worthwhile, I'll go," Els said. "If not, I'm going to play the Million Dollar (in South Africa), where I haven't been for three years. Quite a schedule."

© 2010 AFP/sid