He did it, famously, when he won the 91st PGA Championship; his memorable first major. There, the unassuming South Korean overcame a two-shot deficit going into the final round, to finish three strokes ahead of his playing partner... who happened to be Tiger Woods.
It was a victory that changed his life. With it he became the first Asian-born male to win a major championship, and saw his world ranking rocket from 110th to 34th.
Today the self-taught 38-year-old golfer was back to his old tricks... and then some, when won the Kolon Korea Open at Woo Jeong Hills Country Club with a closing five-under-par 66 for two-stroke victory. Considering that he'd been flirting with the cut line a couple of days earlier this win was something of a surprise, even for Mr. Yang himself. After all, he'd started the day 10 strokes behind the leader, 19-year-old Noh Seung-Yu. The teen, who held the lead for most of the tournament, lost his footing in the final round and finished in a tie for fourth. ~ Yang's stunning victory at the Korean Open also sent him to the top of the OneAsia Tour Order of Merit.
Y. E. Yang is one of my favorite players so I was delighted to see this weekend's story. I like his unique sense of style, and the fact that he taught himself to play ... at the relatively advanced age of 19 ... then went on to be one of the best in the world. I don't know why, but that kind of thing always impresses me.
Like nine thousand something others, we follow @Y_E_ Yang on Twitter.
AP Photo/Yonhap
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