By Oh Young-jin
Staff Reporter
If you can't play like Yang Yong-eun, the Korean golfer who beat Tiger Woods and won the 2009 PGA Championship, at least you can try to look like him, in the hope that it may help you shed a stroke or two off your usual handicap.
Judging by the big sales of the outfits Yang sported, the club he used at one of his crucial moments and the caddie bag he raised overhead in victory, Korean golfers aren't just trying to emulate his golf swing, but his style as well.
Yang's victory came after he birded the 18th hole to make Woods' last putt meaningless.
According to industry sources, TaylorMade, Yang's caddie bag sponsor, sold out a limited edition of 100 caddie bags in a matter of six hours.
It's the same bag TaylorMade provided to all its pro golfers participating in the event. Yang's bag, however, has the Korean national flag, Taegukgi, on the lower pocket on its front.
TaylorMade utility No. 3, the club which Yang used to hit his second shot to within 2.5 meters of the pin on the last hole, is also in high demand.
On golf sites, some argue that if he had used a 3 iron, he might not have been able to hit the green as accurately as he did from a distance of over 200 yards.
The white t-shirt and pants he wore have also been hot items since his victory. Yang said during a post-championship interview that he wore all-white because it's Korea's color.
The outfit is made by Le Coq Sportif, which comes with the trademark of a red rooster. Some golf industry watchers say that Yang's victory has given the golfwear maker brand exposure worth millions of dollars, an unexpected return on investment for Yang's clothing sponsor.
TaylorMade and Adidas Korea reported a 40-percent rise in its sales during the week following Yang's Aug. 17 victory, while Le Coq Sportif saw sales up more than 50 percent here.
It is not just items Yang used which are selling well, but also other golf-related goods. Lotte Department Store reported about a 30-percent rise in golf-related sales in the week after Yang's Aug. 17 victory.
Shinsegae also said that their sales saw a sizeable improvement.