Y.E. Yang Wins the PGA

All bets were on Tiger Woods to win the PGA at Hazeltine National Golf Course in Chaska, Minnesota. Woods won 14 out of 14 times going into the final round with the lead. This streak did not continue on Sunday of the PGA. The wind direction changed along with the tide for Woods. On Sunday the winds were blowing across nearly every hole. Woods was constantly tossing grass in the air to determine wind direction.

Y. E. Yang, playing with Woods in the final pairing, exhibited flashes of genius early in the match. Thirty-seven year old Yang, dressed in white shirt and white pants, is from South Korea and the father of three. He's lived in the United States a little over a year. On the sixth hole, Yang made a spectacular shot out of the trees and onto the green reminiscent of shots often made by Woods. Woods' ball flew the green and landed in the rough. Both parred the hole. The excitement and suspense had begun.

By the tenth hole, Yang and Woods were co-leaders; and by the eleventh hole Woods was in the lead again. His lead did not last as Woods bogied number twelve and the two were tied once again. They remained tied on hole 13 when Woods missed a birdie putt and Yang made his putt for par.

The first shot of the tournament came at hole 14 when Yang chipped in for an eagle and grabbed the lead. It was the first time in the tournament that someone other than Woods had solo lead. Woods answered Yang's eagle with a birdie. Both players were providing the crowd with a thrilling show.

The competition got even more suspenseful on hole 17, a par three, when Woods' drive flew the green and landed in the rough. Yang's drive landed on the green and he would be putting for birdie. Woods chipped his ball short and missed the putt for a bogey. Making a weak stroke for his first putt, Yang ended up three putting also for a bogey.

The second shot of the tournament occurred on number 18. Yang finished his round with a flourish hitting a fantastic shot over the trees, clearing the bunker and landing 12 feet from the cup. He went on to make the birdie putt. Woods' second shot was in the rough again, and once again he missed the putt to finish three shots behind Yang in second place. Yang became the first Asian to win a major tournament.

Although it appeared to be the Woods-Yang show, other players made the tournament interesting also. Young Rory McIlroy crept up to join Lucas Glover, Lee Westwood and Soren Kjeldsen tied for third at one point. Only McIlroy and Westwood finished in third place. Glover, who got to 3 under at one time and then had four bogeys, finished tied for fourth; and Kjeldsen tied for fifth. Padraig Harrington was in contention for most of the tournament until he shot an 8 on the par 3 eighth hole.

All eyes were on Tiger Woods to win the tournament. He blamed his poor putting for his loss. In the end, however, it was Yang's fantastic play that won the tournament.