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South Korea's Y.A. Yang's eagle on 14 gave him the lead,
which he never relinquished (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
In the final major of the year, South Korea's Y.E. Yang and Tiger Woods battled back and forth all day long.
But Yang held off the world's best golfer to win the 91st PGA Championship, his first PGA major, becoming the first South Korean golfer—and the first Asian golfer—to win a PGA major.
Yang proved unable to take advantage of several opportunities that Woods uncharacteristically presented him on the front nine, so they remained tied heading into the final nine holes.
But it was Woods who crumbled down the stretch, while Yang overcame nerves and high pressure to play steady, mistake-free golf on the back nine to win a pressure-filled round.
Tiger had never lost a tournament after leading on the final day, but Yang was able to overcome Woods' many putting mistakes, as well as a few of his own, to break that 14-0 record.
Yang put the pressure on Tiger first, birdieing the third hole to pick up a stroke on the Woods, who missed a three-foot par putt on 4 to fall back into a tie, but Yang gave the stroke back on the next hole, missing an eight-footer for bogey.
Yang had a chance to take the stroke back on the par-4 6, even though he shanked his tee shot into the rough, hitting a reporter. This deflection gave him a good look at the pin from 160 yards, and he made an excellent shot to the green to get within twenty feet of the hole for a look at birdie.
Woods, who had a nice look from the middle of the fairway, landed his approach shot long, on the fringe for a long chip shot. He saved par nicely with a sweet chip shot, and Yang missed his chance when he left his birdie putt short.
On a par-5 7th, both players missed birdie putts, while in the group ahead, Padraig Harrington, who had pulled into a tie with Yang, blew his day with an 8 on the par-3 8th hole, dropping him out of contention.
Yang lost another chance to gain some momentum on the same eighth hole when Woods shanked his tee shot into a bunker and the South Korean placed his drive within six feet of the pin.
Woods' sand shot looked nice coming out, but it rolled downhill past the hole into the fringe. He putted on a line, but without enough club and tapped in for a two-over 5.
With only a short uphill putt to take the lead, Yang instead pushed it wide and had to settle for a par that tied him for the lead.
They traded pars on 9 and 10 to stay tied, but Yang had a chance again on the 10th to pull ahead.
Yang's drive was better, but he had a tougher look at the green, and landed his approach short, with backspin carrying him out of easy birdie range. This proved to be an important distance difference, as his birdie putt got to the lip of the hole without falling.
Woods misread the green and left his birdie putt wide of the hole; again, Yang failed to take advantage of Woods' mistake and the two remained knotted.
On the 11th, Tiger took the lead again, reaching the par-5 green in two for an eagle look. Yang's second shot, however, landed on the fairway, short and wide of the green. His third took him twelve feet from the hole, and Woods picked up his first birdie since Saturday, and his first on a par-5 the whole tournament.
Yang's birdie chance came within a foot of the hole, leaving him an easy par tap-in, but he fell back into second place.
The par-4 12th, one of the toughest on the course, reversed their positions when Tiger hooked his tee shot into the gallery and Yang kept his running along the left side of the fairway.
Woods took too much club out of the rough and, incredibly, flew the green, and Yang hooked his approach shot to the left side of the green, with a very long look for bird.
Playing from the rough again, Woods chipped nicely, but long, landing fifteen feet past the hole. Yang, putting from a good thirty or forty feet away, put his birdie within a few feet of the hole for an easy par. Woods missed his par putt, giving back the lead to Yang.
The 13th through 15th holes are crucial on this course, as the last four holes are tough to pick up strokes on. Each held its own minor drama, starting with 13.
Yang's drive looked good at first, but a late wind blew him offline into a greenside bunker; Tiger learned from Yang's mistake and hooked his slightly into the wind, landing his ball with a twelve-foot putt for birdie.
An excellent sand player, Yang hit a nice second shot that still got him about as far away as Woods made with his drive, though on the other side of the hole.
But Woods couldn't capitalize, hitting inches left of the hole, but Yang read the green very well, matching Tiger's par to keep the score tied.
The tee shots on 14 saw their positions reversed—Tiger's shot found a nearby bunker, while Yang landed near the green.
Yang chipped from the fringe, holing the ball for an incredible eagle, while Tiger's sand shot gave him the look he needed to hit a crucial birdie.
Yang now had the lead with four holes to play. On the par-5 15th, both drives landed in the fairway very close to each other.
Yang tried to hit the green with a fairway wood, but the ball slipped a bit in a brisk crosswind towards the first level of rough. Tiger, the master of the long shot, stayed in the fairway, but laid up short about ten yards behind Yang.
Tiger's approach left him a bit short, but with a fifteen-foot birdie look, and Yang laid his up even shorter, ten feet behind Woods.
With a tough putt over a crest, Yang putted short and tapped in for par; Woods, up over the crest, had an easier look but again blew his birdie chance, leaving Yang with the lead.
Both escaped danger by reaching the 16th green in the regulation two, as their shots drifted. Woods ended up on the left side of the green with a long twenty-five birdie putt, and Yang squeezed his shot between the flag and the water on the other side of the green, just ten feet from the pin and slightly on the fringe.
Both missed birdie putts, though, leaving them in the same positions for 17, a par-3 in a slight tailwind. Yang's shot found the middle of the green, but Woods—pushing for the lead—flew the green, and the ball rolled down the hill into the rough.
Facing a shot that would make or break his chances to take the lead, Tiger hit a soft pitch that gave him a tough uphill ten-foot par putt. Yang couldn't capitalize, however, and left his knockout birdie putt short of the hole, giving Tiger the chance to at least stay within striking distance of a playoff.
In a putt that was typical of his day, Tiger hit his wide, ending with a bogey. Yang lipped his par putt out and matched Woods' bogey, leading to a final hole where anything could still happen.
Woods outdrove Yang, but Yang curved his second shot around a tree to land within easy birdie distance. Tiger's approach, aggressively seeking the pin, instead bounced off the green into the rough.
His chip came close to holing out, but he rolled past it, and missed his first putt to end with bogey.
Needing two putts to win the tournament outright, Yang did it instead in one, and exuberantly pumped his fist and lifted his golf bag in triumph.
Just like the Korean women golfers who have virtually taken over the leaderboards of the LPGA, Yang may be the first of a wave of Asian male golfers ready to rise to prominence in the men's tour.
Expect much more from this steady, talented South Korean golfer. Congratulations, Yong-eun Yang!
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