Encinitas Golf Shop

This weekend at Hazeltine was one of the most intriguing PGA Championships in history. With a match up of world number one Tiger Woods and relative unknown Y.E. Yang in the final round, many thought the tournament would go in Tiger’s favor as he had never relinquished a fifty-four hole lead in a major championship before. This weekend, however, would be remembered for a sixty foot chip for eagle by Yang, and a series of putts that did not find the cup for Tiger.

Yang played well, shooting a seventy, while Tiger shot seventy-five, his second worst in a major championship’s final round. Although Tiger Woods lost, Yang is the bigger story here. He became the first Asian born player to ever capture a major championship, and his road to success is unparalleled by most other professionals.

From South Korea, Yang was a weight lifter until age 19 when a knee injury made him stop. He later took up golf at a local driving range, became a teacher, and decided to go pro. At the age of thirty-seven, Yang now is an icon in Korea for golf from the male side. His nerves only truly showed on a putt he pushed about six feet short of the cup and later bogeyed. His poise and ball-striking will both be remembered from this victory.