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| Y.E. Yang | |
|---|---|
| Name | Y.E. Yang |
| Birth date | December 27, 1972 |
| Birth place | Seoul, South Korea |
| Residence | Seoul, South Korea |
| Spouse | Ji-Young Yang |
| Turned pro | 1995 |
| Tour | PGA Tour Champions |
| Former tours | PGA Tour, Asian Tour, Japan Golf Tour |
| Professional wins | 13 |
Y.E. Yang is a South Korean professional golfer known for becoming the first Asian-born male to win a men's major golf championship. He gained international prominence after a come-from-behind victory over Tiger Woods at the 2009 PGA Championship, later competing on the PGA Tour, Asian Tour, and Japan Golf Tour. Yang's breakthrough elevated the profile of golf in South Korea, influencing players such as K.J. Choi and Sung Kang while drawing attention from international organizations including the United States Golf Association and the PGA of America.
Born in Seoul, Yang grew up in a family with limited exposure to international golf icons, but was influenced by televised events like the Masters Tournament and the Open Championship. As a junior he practiced at local clubs in Gwanak District and competed in national amateur events organized by the Korea Golf Association and participated in regional tournaments associated with the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship pathway. During his amateur years Yang honed skills at facilities frequented by contemporaries such as K.J. Choi and Yang Yong-eun (older generation of Korean golfers), balancing national service obligations with aspirations to turn professional.
Yang turned professional in 1995 and initially played on the Japan Golf Tour and the Asian Tour, where he recorded multiple top-10 finishes and won titles that improved his world ranking in lists maintained by the Official World Golf Ranking. In the 2000s he expanded his schedule to co-sanctioned events, appearing in tournaments overseen by the European Tour and the PGA Tour of Australasia, before securing status on the PGA Tour through qualification routes linked to the Nationwide Tour (now Korn Ferry Tour) and sponsor exemptions. Yang's international schedule included starts at signature venues like St Andrews Links and Oak Hill Country Club, reflecting growing invitations from major championship organizers such as the R&A and the PGA of America.
Yang's career-defining moment came at the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club, where he overcame a four-stroke deficit on the final hole to defeat Tiger Woods by one stroke, marking the first time an Asian-born male won one of golf's four majors. That victory ended a streak of major wins by players from United States and Europe at the time, and Yang received the Walter Hagen Award recognition from various media outlets while earning exemptions to major fields including the U.S. Open and successive Masters Tournament invitations. Beyond the PGA Championship, Yang's professional wins include titles on the Japan Golf Tour and the Asian Tour, bringing his career total to multiple victories and setting national records tracked by the Korea Golf Association and included in statistics compiled by the Official World Golf Ranking.
Yang's playing style combines a compact, controlled swing with strategic course management common among successful Japan Golf Tour veterans. Coaches who have worked with Yang drew on methodologies from instructors associated with figures like Butch Harmon and David Leadbetter, focusing on balance, tempo, and short-game proficiency around links-style and parkland courses such as Augusta National Golf Club and Pebble Beach Golf Links. Yang is noted for steady putting under pressure, a quality that proved decisive at stroke-play majors run by the PGA of America and in matchups against sluggers from the PGA Tour like Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy.
Yang resides in Seoul with his wife Ji-Young and their two children and has engaged in charitable activities in partnership with organizations such as the Korea Foundation and local hospital foundations. He has represented South Korea in international team events and attended diplomatic sporting exchanges involving delegations from nations including Japan and the United States. Off-course interests include mentoring younger professionals like Bae Sang-moon and participating in pro-am events alongside celebrities linked to brands and tournaments sponsored by companies such as Samsung and Hyundai.
Yang's 2009 major victory is widely cited as a watershed for Asian golf, influencing the rise of players from South Korea, Japan, China, and Thailand in global rankings maintained by the Official World Golf Ranking. His achievement earned recognition from the Korean Sports Awards and invitations to international halls and exhibitions organized by institutions like the World Golf Hall of Fame selection committees and media commemorations by outlets including Golf Digest and ESPN. Yang's legacy includes inspiring increased investment in golf academies in South Korea and contributing to a generation of players who have secured victories on the PGA Tour, European Tour, and Japan Golf Tour.
Category:South Korean golfers Category:Major championship (golf) winners