The most surprising upset in the history of golf just occurred this week. Y.E. Yang of South Korea shocked the world after he beat out the biggest name in golf—Tiger Woods. Yang, ranked No. 110 in the world, stunned the golf world on Sunday at the Hazeltine National tournament by winning the PGA against Woods, the reigning No. 1 champ.
Yang’s win had quite a bit of significance. By beating out the fan favorite, he became the first Korean man to win one of the four major championships in golf. And if that weren’t enough, Yang also became the first golfer to overtake Woods in a championship in which Woods was actually leading during the first part of the final round. Tensions ran high during the game with Yang and Woods duking it out in gusting winds.
When Woods failed to sink his final 60 foot shot, Yang snuck in and holed his last putt for the win. Breaking out into a dance and pumping the air with his fists, the 37 year-old Korean was nothing short of ecstatic. Woods, however, remained impassive. His losing shot was only about 10 feet away from the hole, and he was clearly angry about his performance during the game. In a post-game interview, the Tiger said, “I hit (the ball) great all day, and just didn’t make anything. I played well enough to win the golf tournament, but I did not putt well enough to win the golf tournament. It was just a bad day at the wrong time, and that’s the way it goes.”
However, Woods was not the only golfer to struggle during the championships. The defending champion, Padraig Harrington, finished tied for 10th place. After Harrington’s loss was solidified, Yang went for the win with an outstanding shot at the 14th hole, when his tee stopped just short of the green.
You never know in life, this might be my last win as a golfer,” Yang said through an interpreter at a post-game conference. “But this is a great day. It’s going to be a great foundation for me to continue playing on the PGA Tour. It means the world right now. It hasn’t sunken in, but I do know the significance of it.” Yang hopes that his win acts as an inspiration to young Korean golfers, stating that “all the young golfers, Korean and Asian, would probably build their dreams and expand their horizons a bit with this win.”
Congratulations Yang, but better luck next time, Tiger!
