To most “experts” and casual fans alike, it was a foregone conclusion Tiger Woods would win his 15th major championship (5th PGA Championship) this past Sunday at the beautiful links of Hazeltine Country Club in Chaska Minnesota.
Why even watch? Tiger would surely hold on to his lead, and his competitors would surely wilt under the relentless pressure and mystique Tiger has cast upon the PGA Tour. Sure, Tiger may come up with some fantastic shots during the big pressure moments, but doesn’t this get a little boring? Certainly no need to remove yourself from your cherished mid-summer activities, just turn on ESPN or The Golf Channel before work on Monday morning and watch Tiger’s recent highlight reel. After all, Tiger was a perfect 14 for 14 when holding or sharing the lead going into the final round of a major championship.
Well, it is a good thing the engraver of the Wanamaker Trophy stuck around to see the results of the final round of the PGA Championship. And, if you were fortunate enough to trade your day at the beach for an afternoon of being a couch potato you may have witnessed one of the greatest upsets in recent sporting history, thanks to Y.E. Yang’s gutsy and ice cool performance. If only our good friend Tom Watson could have pulled off a similar and equally stunning upset, at Turnberry Ailsa last month during the 138th Open Championship in Scotland. However, we still expect another strong performance by Watson in 2010 at the Old Course, in St. Andrews.
Yang Yong-eun, known in the United States as Y. E. Yang, not only put an end to Tiger’s 14 for 14 streak. He also became the first Asian born player to win a major championship. Ironically, Y. E. Yang was able to turn the tables on Tiger by making “Tiger-like” shots with a “Tiger-like” demeanor. Chipping in for eagle on the short par 4 14th and ultimately ending the tournament with a heroic approach on the final hole. Equally impressive was the true sportsmanship and class displayed in defeat by the great champion Tiger Woods. Odds makers, analysts, experts and just about everyone gave no one a chance of passing Tiger in the final round, let alone the 110th ranked player in the world. But, that is “why they play the game”.
Tags: 138 Open Championship, 139 Open Championship, 2010 Open, 2010 Open Championship, 91 pga championship, British Open, british open packages, chaska, Golf, golf packages, golf tour, golf trip, hazeltine, hazeltine country club, minnesota, old course, open, open championship, pga, pga championship, saint andrews, Scotland, scotland golf, Scotland golf trip, St Andrews, tiger, tiger woods, Tom Watson, turnberry, Turnberry Ailsa, watson, y.e. yang, yang