By Kim Jae-won
Staff Reporter
Korean golfer Yang Yong-eun made PGA Tour history, becoming the first Korean and Asian player to win a major championship. His achievement was made in grand fashion by out-dueling Tiger Woods in the final round of the PGA Championship Sunday (Monday, KST).
In a true rags to riches story, the 37-year-old former janitor stunned the sports world by beating the biggest name in golf, becoming the unlikeliest of champions as the world's 110th ranked player.
He did so in a tournament that many believe Woods had completely wrapped up - he started the final round with a two-stroke lead over Yang.
Woods had established himself as unbeatable, a perfect 14-0 at majors, when entering a final round with the lead - a streak that Yang ended with a three-stroke victory over Woods at Hazeltine National Chaska, Minn.
Yang netted $1.35 million in prize money with an 8-under 280.
Woods also hadn't lost in nine years after leading a tournament by two shots or more. With Yang snatching victory out of his hands, it means Woods will end 2009 without a major championship. Yang has also earned the nickname "Tiger Slayer" as he also beat Woods in 2006 at the European Tour's HSBC Champions event.
Yang's victory gives a big boost to men's golf in Korea and ends any talk that male golfers here aren't good enough to win. The nation's women golfers have had plenty of success on the LPGA tour, with Pak Se-ri and other Korean ladies capturing 79 career victories including 11 major championships. Seven other Korean female players have won a combined 11 majors. Most recently, Ji Eun-hee grabbed the U.S. Women's Open last month. Choi Kyung-ju, 39, has won seven PGA tour events but no major - he was third at the 2004 Masters, the best finish for a Korean male golfer until now.
Yang's victory comes four days after the IOC recommended that golf be part of the Summer Olympics in 2016, brightening Korea's hopes of grabbing Olympic medals in the sport.
After taming Tiger, Yang still had the energy left to hoist his golf bag over his head and later the 44-pound trophy before tearfully embracing his wife Park Young-ju.