Little-known Y.E. Yang shocks Tiger Woods to win PGA Championship

CHASKA, Minn. — When the final book on Tiger Woods is written, these two names will need to be highlighted: Ed Fiori, Y.E. Yang.

Not Sergio Garcia. Not Phil Mickelson. Not Ernie Els. At least not yet.

Fiori came from behind to beat Woods on the final day at the 1996 Quad City Classic, and Yang did the unthinkable Sunday, overtaking Woods in the final round of a major, the PGA Championship.

Wearing all white, the ghost-like figure shot a 2-under 70 to become the first player from Asia to win a men's major and the first to beat Woods after he had a 54-hole lead in a major. Woods had been 14 for 14 as a closer in majors.

Consider this: Yang started the day as a 20-1 underdog, according to an online sports wagering site. Woods was a 2-920 favorite, roughly the same as Secretariat in his prime against your pet cocker spaniel.

"You never know in life," Yang said through his interpreter, Ryan Park.

No, you don't. Woods led or was tied atop the leaderboard until the 14th hole, a driveable par 4 of 301 yards. Yang knocked in his eagle chip from some 80 feet to take the lead.

He never relinquished it. Woods put himself in position to make birdies at Hazeltine National but couldn't buy one on the greens.

He spent much of the round muttering to himself in frustration. He had only three one-putts.

"I made absolutely nothing," he said. "I had a terrible day on the greens ... I hit the ball great off the tee, hit my irons well. I did everything I needed to do except get the ball in the hole."

In shooting a 3-over 75, Woods made just two birdies. He didn't really crack a smile until he graciously congratulated Yang on the 18th green.

"Y.E. hit it great all day," Woods said. "It was a fun battle."

The tournament was still in doubt until Yang's 3-iron approach on 18. With 210 yards to the pin from the first cut of rough, he fired at the flag, and his ball settled 8 feet from the cup.

Woods, trailing by one, could have chipped in for a birdie that would have forced Yang to make his putt.

Yang, the 37-year-old native of Korea, doesn't speak much English. But despite a limited vocabulary, his politeness comes across.

Asked in English to describe his emotions that moment, he replied: "I think: Tiger, miss the chip-in please."

Maybe even pretty please.

Woods did miss, and Yang knocked home the birdie for a three-shot victory after Woods made a bogey.

"He's a world-class player and he had nothing to lose," said his caddie, A.J. Montecinos. "He said: I'm not nervous."

This was a two-man race throughout the back nine, especially after defending champion Padraig Harrington imploded in the group ahead of them on the par-3 eighth. Harrington was one shot behind when he hit two shots in the water — including a chip from behind the green, just as he did last week at Firestone — and took a quintuple-bogey 8.

Montecinos, 35, who played for coach Eddie Payton at Jackson State and first caddied for Yang at Q-school in 2007, said his boss is a delight.

"He's very low-key and easy to get to know," Montecinos said. "When the general public gets to know him, they will fall in love with him. He's got a heart as big as this place."

"Tiger's good, but he could always have a bad day," Yang said. "Guess this is one of those days."