By Kang Seung-woo
Staff Reporter
World No. 1 Tiger Woods was a staggering 14-0 at the major events when he led entering the final round.
And the 14-time major winner started the final round of the PGA Championship with a two-shot advantage Monday (KST).
But the dominance did not pose a threat to Yang Yong-eun, who once beat arguably the world's greatest golfer of all time at the HSBC Champions Tournament in November 2006 in China, as the 37-year-old and one-time PGA Tour winner pulled off a huge upset, out-dueling Woods by three strokes at Chaska, Minn.
Yang carded a 2-under 70 to finish with an 8-under 280 to Woods' 283.
"It will be a bit of a crazy party tonight," said Yang, who hoisted his golf bag over his head after claiming the title. "I knew the odds were against me. I tried to be the least nervous I have ever been and went for broke."
The victory earned Yang, who triumphed at the Honda Classic in March, a $1.35 million winner's check and moved him up to ninth in the PGA money rankings with $3,220,941 from 19 events.
In addition, the Korean, who entered the Tour in 2007, has earned a five-year exemption into the Masters, U.S. and British Opens and a permanent spot in future PGA Championships. He also booked his slot on the International team at the Presidents Cup, a tournament which pits a U.S. team against a team of golfers from around the world, besides Europe.
However, it also gave the native of Jeju Island a more prestigious billing - the first Asian to win a major championship in PGA Tour history.
Before Yang was awarded the trophy, major titles had been elusive to Asian golfers.
Their best achievements were runner-up finishes, as Taiwan's Lu Liang-huan was second, one shot back at the British Open in 1971, Isao Aoki of Japan was two behind winner 18-time major winner Jack Nicklaus at the U.S. Open in 1980 and another Taiwanese player, Chen Tze-chung, was also one stroke away from the 1985 U.S. Open title.
Yang came into the final round in a tie for second with defending champion Padraig Harrington of Ireland, but the Irishman, who eyed revenge for last week's loss to Woods at the Bridgestone Invitational, fell out of the title race with a quintuple bogey on the par-3 eighth.
Yang, ranked 110th, overtook Woods, who bogeyed twice on the front nine, at the turn and took the lead for the first time on the par-4 14th hole.
With the pair tied at 6-under, Yang's drive came up short and right of the green next to bunker, while Woods found the sand.
Yang chipped the ball from about 18 meters from the green and witnessed it roll into the center of the hole for a fist-pumping eagle. But Woods stayed alive with a birdie.
With a one shot lead on the 72nd hole, Yang's approach left him with a two-meter birdie opportunity and holed it for the title, while the reeling Woods, who needed an eagle to force a playoff, picked up his fifth bogey of the day.
"Y.E. (Yong-eun) played great all day. I don't think he missed a shot. And it was a fun battle. Unfortunately, I just didn't make the putts when I needed them," Woods said.