The 2009 PGA Championship - Yang stuns Woods, and golf world, to win PGA Championship Yang achieves a major moment in authoritative fashion Y.E. Yang's victory will go down in... Y.E. Yang sealed his first major victory with an amazing approach shot to the final green on Sunday. (Greenwood/Getty Images) Yang stuns Woods, and golf world, to win PGA Championship In a year of spoilers at the majors, Y.E. Yang was the biggest of all. Yang became the first Asian-born player to win a major Sunday with a steely performance in the PGA Championship. CHASKA, Minn. (AP) -- Y.E. Yang shook his fists and shouted with joy over a victory felt around the world. Equally stunning was the sight of Tiger Woods, standing over the final putt of the PGA Championship with nothing at stake. The final major of the year delivered a pair of shocking developments Sunday. Yang, a 37-year-old from South Korea who was in PGA Tour qualifying school nine months ago, became the first Asian-born player to capture a major title with a series of spectacular shots on the back nine of Hazeltine. Even more memorable was the guy he beat.

Woods was 14-0 when he was atop the leaderboard going into the final round of a major. He had never lost any tournament on American soil when leading by more than one shot. Yang showed everyone how to beat him, from the stars who had failed so many times over the last dozen years, and perhaps to an emerging generation of golfers in Asia, the fastest-growing golf market in the world. “It’s not like you’re in an octagon where you’re fighting against Tiger and he’s going to bite you, or swing at you with his 9-iron,” Yang said through an interpreter. “The worst that I could do was just lose to Tiger. So I really had nothing much at stake.” When he saw Woods in birdie range at the 14th, Yang chipped in from 60 feet for eagle to take the lead. Clinging to a one-shot lead, a tree slightly blocking his view of the flag on the 18th hole and Woods in the fairway, Yang hit the shot of his life. His 3-iron hybrid cleared a bunker and settled 12 feet away. And with that, Yang slew golf’s giant.

Yang made the final birdie to close with a 2-under 70, giving him a three-shot victory when Woods missed yet another short par putt and had a 75, his worst score ever in the final round of the major when he was in the last group. “All the other 14 major championships I’ve won, I’ve putted well for the entire week,” Woods said. “And today, that didn’t happen.” Instead, it was Yang posing with the trophy and giving the longest press conference of his life. When he finally left Hazeltine, another celebration awaited. He has been eating every night at the Hoban Korean Restaurant, and the owners kept the doors open. “They were supposed to be closed,” said Michael Yim, an IMG agent who works with Yang. “All the staff and the owner’s family were outside the store, giving us a standing ovation. They said, ‘If you can come at 3 in the morning, we would have kept it open.’ Their eyes were teary. What just happened is huge.” For Woods, it was the second time he has finished runner-up in the PGA Championship at Hazeltine, both times to a surprise winner.

Seven years ago, he birdied the last four holes and came up one short of Rich Beem. This time, Woods made one mistake after another over the last four holes, mostly with his putter. “I did everything I needed to do, except for getting the ball in the hole,” Woods said. “Just didn’t make the putts when I needed to make them.” Yang’s victory is massive for Asia. Perhaps even more significant is the way he stood up to Woods, the world’s No. 1 player whose heritage is half-Asian through his Thai-born mother. Yang and K.J. Choi are the only PGA Tour players who learned golf in South Korea before coming to America. South Koreans have had far more success on the LPGA Tour, with seven players combining to win 11 majors. “Golf in Asia has been growing steadily, so to have the guy who finally found a way to beat Tiger on Sunday is so big for the region,” Geoff Ogilvy said. “It’s hard for us here in the U.S. to imagine the impact this will have.” His victory came four days after golf was recommended to become part of the Olympics in 2016. Yang was No.

110 in the world, his only victory on the PGA Tour coming in March at the Honda Classic, on a course next to the headquarters of the PGA of America. He was best known for holding off Woods at the HSBC Champions in China three years ago. This stage was far bigger and Yang was even better. He trailed by two shots going into the final round, caught Woods at the turn, and was tied with five holes to play when Yang chipped in for eagle on the 14th. When it looked as though nerves were getting the best of him on a three-putt bogey at the 17th, he delivered his two most important shots that brought him an unlikely victory. “This might be my last win as a golfer,” Yang said. “But it sure is a great day.” Yang still had enough strength left to hoist his golf bag over his head, and later the 44-pound Wanamaker Trophy. After a long and tearful embrace with his wife, Young Ju Park, he walked across a bridge saluting thousands of fans who couldn’t believe what they saw. In a year of spoilers at the majors, this might have been the biggest: Yang topped the mighty Tiger Woods.

Kenny Perry was poised to become the oldest Masters champion at 48 until Angel Cabrera beat him in a playoff. Phil Mickelson, reeling from news that his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, was on the verge of finally winning the U.S. Open until Lucas Glover outplayed him over the final few holes. And just last month, 59-year-old Tom Watson was an 8-foot par putt away from winning the British Open, then lost in a playoff to Stewart Cink. Woods losing a two-shot lead in the final round of a major? That was unthinkable -- until a breezy afternoon at Hazeltine. Yang finished at 8-under 280 and won $1.35 million, along with a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour and the majors. He became the first player since John Daly in 1991 to win the PGA Championship after going to Q-School the previous year. One more bonus: His victory put him on the International team for the Presidents Cup in October in San Francisco. Asian-born players had come close in the majors -- Liang-Huan Lu of Taiwan finishing one shot behind Lee Trevino at the 1971 British Open, and T.C.

Chen’s famous two-chip gaffe that cost him a chance at the 1985 U.S. Open, where he was runner-up to Andy North. This could be a big breakthrough for Asian players, especially with a World Golf Championship starting this year in China. As for the PGA Championship, what remains is whether it will be remembered more for Yang’s victory for Woods losing a 54-hole lead for the first time in a major. “He went out there and executed his game plan,” Woods said. “He was doing exactly what you have to do, especially in these conditions. I think he played beautifully.” 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. He shot a 78. Woods three-putted for bogey at No. 4 for the second straight day and made bogey from the bunker at No.

8, sending the final pairing to the back nine in a tie for the lead. Woods regained the lead with a 3-wood on the 606-yard 11th hole onto the green, only to give it back with a bogey on the 12th after he hit a wild hook into the trees. He twice missed birdie putts inside 10 feet -- at No. 10 and No. 13 -- and then momentum shifted to Yang. With the tees again moved forward to 301 yards, Yang came up just short. He watched Woods play a good bunker shot to 8 feet, then knocked it his chip. “That’s when I thought, ‘I do have a chance,”’ Yang said. He was steady. Woods was sloppy. Woods chunked a 3-wood trying to for the green in two at the 15th, then missed another 10-foot birdie putt to tie. Both bogeyed the 17th hole, Woods with a shot he thought was pure until it landed into thick rough over the green. “Tiger’s good, but he could always have a bad day,” Yang said.

“Guess this is one of those days.” PGA Championship: Y.E. Yang wins PGA Championship CHASKA, Minn. -- Y.E. Yang shook his fists and shouted with joy over a victory felt around the world. Equally stunning was the sight of Tiger Woods , standing over the final putt of the PGA Championship with nothing at stake. The final major of the year delivered a pair of shocking developments Sunday. Yang, a 37-year-old from South Korea who was in PGA Tour qualifying school nine months ago, became the first Asian-born player to capture a major title with a series of spectacular shots on the back nine of Hazeltine. Even more memorable was the guy he beat. Woods was 14-0 when he was atop the leaderboard going into the final round of a major. He had never lost any tournament on American soil when leading by more than one shot. Yang showed everyone how to beat him, from the stars who had failed so many times over the last dozen years, and perhaps to an emerging generation of golfers in Asia, the fastest-growing golf market in the world.

"It's not like you're in an octagon where you're fighting against Tiger and he's going to bite you, or swing at you with his 9-iron," Yang said through an interpreter. "The worst that I could do was just lose to Tiger. So I really had nothing much at stake." When he saw Woods in birdie range at the 14th, Yang chipped in from 60 feet for eagle to take the lead. Clinging to a one-shot lead, a tree slightly blocking his view of the flag on the 18th hole and Woods in the fairway, Yang hit the shot of his life. His 3-iron hybrid cleared a bunker and settled 12 feet away. And with that, Yang slew golf's giant. Yang made the final birdie to close with a 2-under 70, giving him a three-shot victory when Woods missed yet another short par putt and had a 75, his worst score ever in the final round of the major when he was in the last group. "All the other 14 major championships I've won, I've putted well for the entire week," Woods said.

"And today, that didn't happen." Instead, it was Yang posing with the trophy and giving the longest press conference of his life. When he finally left Hazeltine, another celebration awaited. He has been eating every night at the Hoban Korean Restaurant, and the owners kept the doors open. "They were supposed to be closed," said Michael Yim, an IMG agent who works with Yang. "All the staff and the owner's family were outside the store, giving us a standing ovation. They said, 'If you can come at 3 in the morning, we would have kept it open.' Their eyes were teary. What just happened is huge." For Woods, it was the second time he has finished runner-up in the PGA Championship at Hazeltine, both times to a surprise winner. Seven years ago, he birdied the last four holes and came up one short of Rich Beem . This time, Woods made one mistake after another over the last four holes, mostly with his putter. "I did everything I needed to do, except for getting the ball in the hole," Woods said. "Just didn't make the putts when I needed to make them." Yang's victory is massive for Asia.

Perhaps even more significant is the way he stood up to Woods, the world's No. 1 player whose heritage is half-Asian through his Thai-born mother. Yang and K.J. Choi are the only PGA Tour players who learned golf in South Korea before coming to America. South Koreans have had far more success on the LPGA Tour, with seven players combining to win 11 majors. "Golf in Asia has been growing steadily, so to have the guy who finally found a way to beat Tiger on Sunday is so big for the region," Geoff Ogilvy said. "It's hard for us here in the U.S. to imagine the impact this will have." His victory came four days after golf was recommended to become part of the Olympics in 2016. Yang was No. 110 in the world, his only victory on the PGA Tour coming in March at the Honda Classic, on a course across the street from headquarters of the PGA of America. He was best known for holding off Woods at the HSBC Champions in China three years ago. This stage was far bigger and Yang was even better.

He trailed by two shots going into the final round, caught Woods at the turn, and was tied with five holes to play when Yang chipped in for eagle on the 14th. When it looked as though nerves were getting the best of him on a three-putt bogey at the 17th, he delivered his two most important shots that brought him an unlikely victory. "This might be my last win as a golfer," Yang said. "But it sure is a great day." Y.E. Yang became the first Asian golfer to win a major championship title, besting Tiger Woods by three strokes at Hazeltine on Sunday. Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images Yang still had enough strength left to hoist his golf bag over his head, and later the 44-pound Wanamaker Trophy. After a long and tearful embrace with his wife, Young Ju Park, he walked across a bridge saluting thousands of fans who couldn't believe what they saw. In a year of spoilers at the majors, this might have been the biggest: Yang topped the mighty Tiger Woods . Kenny Perry was poised to become the oldest Masters champion at 48 until Angel Cabrera beat him in a playoff.

Phil Mickelson , reeling from news that his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, was on the verge of finally winning the U.S. Open until Lucas Glover outplayed him over the final few holes. And just last month, 59-year-old Tom Watson was an 8-foot par putt away from winning the British Open, then lost in a playoff to Stewart Cink . Woods losing a two-shot lead in the final round of a major? That was unthinkable -- until a breezy afternoon at Hazeltine. Yang finished at 8-under 280 and won $1.35 million, along with a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour and the majors. He became the first player since John Daly in 1991 to win the PGA Championship after going to Q-school the previous year. One more bonus: His victory put him on the International team for the Presidents Cup in October in San Francisco. Asian-born players had come close in the majors -- Liang-Huan Lu of Taiwan finishing one shot behind Lee Trevino at the 1971 British Open, and T.C. Chen 's famous two-chip gaffe that cost him a chance at the 1985 U.S.

Open, where he was runner-up to Andy North . This could be a big breakthrough for Asian players, especially with a World Golf Championship starting this year in China. Even South Korea's president, Lee Myung-bak, got up before sunrise to watch the tournament live. He later phoned Yang to offer his congratulations. "I woke up at dawn today to watch the broadcast, and you played in a calm manner," Lee told Yang, according to Lee's office. "First of all, you enhanced our people's morale by winning the major title for the first time as an Asian." As for the PGA Championship, what remains is whether it will be remembered more for Yang's victory for Woods losing a 54-hole lead for the first time in a major. "He went out there and executed his game plan," Woods said. "He was doing exactly what you have to do, especially in these conditions. I think he played beautifully." 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. He shot a 78. Woods three-putted for bogey at No. 4 for the second straight day and made bogey from the bunker at No. 8, sending the final pairing to the back nine in a tie for the lead. Woods regained the lead with a 3-wood on the 606-yard 11th hole onto the green, only to give it back with a bogey on the 12th after he hit a wild hook into the trees. He twice missed birdie putts inside 10 feet -- at No. 10 and No. 13 -- and then momentum shifted to Yang. With the tees again moved forward to 301 yards, Yang came up just short. He watched Woods play a good bunker shot to 8 feet, then knocked in his chip. "That's when I thought, 'I do have a chance,'" Yang said. He was steady. Woods was sloppy.

Woods chunked a 3-wood trying to for the green in two at the 15th, then missed another 10-foot birdie putt to tie. Both bogeyed the 17th hole, Woods with a shot he thought was pure until it landed into thick rough over the green. "Tiger's good, but he could always have a bad day," Yang said. "Guess this is one of those days." PGA Championship: Yang Captures First Major - Golf Digest Yang Captures First Major Y.E. Yang shot a 2-under 70 to beat Tiger Woods by three shots Photos by With the victory, Yang became the first Asian player to win a major championship. With the victory, Yang became the first Asian player to win a major championship. CHASKA, Minn. (AP) -- In a year of spoilers at the majors, Y.E. Yang was the biggest of all. He toppled the mighty Tiger Woods. Yang became the first Asian-born player to win a major Sunday with a stunning performance in the PGA Championship, memorable as much for his clutch shots as the player he beat. Woods was 14-0 when he went into the final round of a major atop the leaderboard.

He had not lost any tournament around the world in nine years when leading by two shots. None of that mattered to Yang, a 37-year-old South Korean who hit the shots everyone expected from Woods. Leading by one on the final hole, Yang slayed golf's giant with a hybrid 3-iron that cleared the bunker and settled 12 feet from the cup. Yang made the birdie putt and shouted with joy as he pumped his fist. That gave him a 2-under 70, and a three-shot victory when Woods missed yet another short par putt and shot 75. "I tried to master the art of controlling my emotions throughout the small wins I had in my career," Yang said through his agent, Michael Yim. "I think it turned out quite well today." His victory is massive for Asia, the fastest-growing market in golf. Perhaps even more significant is that the way he stood up to Woods, the world's No. 1 player whose heritage is half-Asian through his Thai-born mother. Yang and K.J. Choi are the only PGA Tour players who learned golf in South Korea before coming to America.

South Koreans have had far more success on the LPGA Tour, with seven players combining to win 11 majors. His victory came four days after golf was recommended to become part of the Olympics in 2016. For Woods, it was the second time he has finished runner-up in the PGA Championship at Hazeltine, both times to a surprise winner. Seven years ago, he birdied the last four holes and came up one short of Rich Beem. This time, Woods made one mistake after another over the last four holes, mostly with his putter. "I did everything I needed to do, except for getting the ball in the hole," Woods said. "Just didn't make the putts when I needed to make them." Yang was No. 110 in the world, his only victory on the PGA Tour coming in March at the Honda Classic, on a course across the street from headquarters of the PGA of America. He was best known for holding off Woods at the HSBC Champions in China three years ago. This stage was far bigger. Yang was even better. He took the lead for the first time all week by chipping in for eagle from about 20 yards short of the 14th green.

And when it looked as though nerves were getting the best of him on a three-putt bogey at the 17th, he delivered his two most important shots. Yang still had enough strength left to hoist his golf bag over his head, and later the 44-pound Wanamaker Trophy. After a long and tearful embrace with his wife, Young Ju Park, he walked across a bridge saluting thousands of fans who couldn't believe what they saw. What a capper to this year in the majors. Kenny Perry was poised to become the oldest Masters champion at 48 until Angel Cabrera beat him in a playoff. Phil Mickelson, reeling from his wife being diagnosed with breast cancer, was on the verge of finally winning the U.S. Open until Lucas Glover outplayed him over the final few holes. And just last month, 59-year-old Tom Watson was an 8-foot par putt away from winning the British Open, then lost in a playoff to Stewart Cink. Woods losing a two-shot lead in the final round of a major? That was unthinkable -- until a breezy afternoon at Hazeltine. "I played well enough the entire week to win the championship," Woods said.

"You have to make putts. I didn't do that. Today was a day that didn't happen." Yang finished at 8-under 280 and won $1.35 million, along with a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour and the majors. That was important for a guy who had to go back to PGA Tour qualifying last December. The last player to go from Q-school to PGA champion was John Daly in 1991. One more bonus: His victory put him on the International team for the Presidents Cup in October in San Francisco. Asian-born players had come close in the majors -- Liang-Huan Lu of Taiwan finishing one shot behind Lee Trevino at the 1971 British Open, and T.C. Chen's famous two-chip gaffe that cost him a chance at the 1985 U.S. Open, where he was runner-up to Andy North. This could be a big breakthrough for Asian players, especially with a World Golf Championship starting this year in China. As for the PGA Championship, what remains is whether it will be remembered more for Yang's victory for Woods losing a 54-hole lead for the first time in a major.

PGA Championship: Yang stuns Woods for PGA title | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette Advertisement PGA Championship: Yang stuns Woods for PGA title South Korean becomes first Asian-born player to claim major title, stuns mighty Woods with eagle, clutch shots on 18 August 17, 2009 4:00 AM Brian Peterson/The Star Tribune Y.E. Yang, left, celebrates his birdie putt as Tiger Woods walks to his ball mark on the 18th hole in the final round of the 91st PGA Championship yesterday at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. By Doug Ferguson The Associated Press CHASKA, Minn. -- In a year of spoilers at the majors, Y.E. Yang was the biggest of all. He toppled the mighty Tiger Woods. Yang became the first Asian-born player to win a major yesterday with a stunning performance in the 91st PGA Championship, memorable as much for his clutch shots as the player he beat. Woods was 14-0 when he went into the final round of a major atop the leader board. He had not lost any tournament around the world in nine years when leading by two shots.

None of that mattered to Yang, 37, a South Korean who hit the shots everyone expected from Woods. Leading by one on the final hole, Yang slew golf's giant with a hybrid 3-iron that cleared the bunker and settled 12 feet from the cup. Yang made the birdie putt and shouted with joy as he pumped his fist. That gave him a 2-under 70, and a three-shot victory when Woods missed yet another short par putt and shot 75. "This might be my last win as a golfer," Yang said through an interpreter. "But it sure is a great day." His victory is massive for Asia, the fastest-growing market in golf. Perhaps even more significant is that the way he stood up to Woods, the world's No. 1 player whose heritage is half-Asian through his Thai-born mother. Yang and K.J. Choi are the only PGA Tour players who learned golf in South Korea before coming to America. South Koreans have had far more success on the LPGA Tour, with seven players combining to win 11 majors. His victory came four days after golf was recommended to become part of the Olympics in 2016.

For Woods, it was the second time he has finished runner-up in the PGA Championship at Hazeltine, both times to a surprise winner. Seven years ago, he birdied the final four holes and came up one short of Rich Beem. This time, Woods made one mistake after another over the final four holes, mostly with his putter. "I did everything I needed to do, except for getting the ball in the hole," Woods said. "Just didn't make the putts when I needed to make them." Yang was No. 110 in the world, his only victory on the PGA Tour coming in March at the Honda Classic, on a course across the street from headquarters of the PGA of America. He was best known for holding off Woods at the HSBC Champions in China three years ago. This stage was far bigger and Yang was even better. He took the lead for the first time all week by chipping in for eagle from about 20 yards short of the 14th green. And when it looked as though nerves were getting the best of him on a three-putt bogey at the 17th, he delivered his two most important shots.

Yang still had enough strength left to hoist his golf bag over his head, and later the 44-pound Wanamaker Trophy. After a long and tearful embrace with his wife, Young Ju Park, he walked across a bridge saluting thousands of fans who couldn't believe what they saw. What a capper to this year in the majors. Kenny Perry was poised to become the oldest Masters champion at 48 until Angel Cabrera beat him in a playoff. Phil Mickelson, reeling from his wife being diagnosed with breast cancer, was on the verge of finally winning the U.S. Open until Lucas Glover outplayed him over the final few holes. And just a month ago, 59-year-old Tom Watson was an 8-foot par putt away from winning the British Open, then lost in a playoff to Stewart Cink. Woods losing a two-shot lead in the final round of a major? That was unthinkable -- until a breezy afternoon at Hazeltine. "I played well enough the entire week to win the championship," Woods said. "You have to make putts. I didn't do that.

Today was a day that didn't happen." Yang finished at 8-under 280 and won $1.35 million, along with a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour and the majors. That was important for a guy who had to go back to PGA Tour Qualifying School in December. The previous player to go from Q-school to PGA champion was John Daly in 1991. One more bonus: His victory put him on the International team for the Presidents Cup in October in San Francisco. Asian-born players had come close in the majors -- Liang-Huan Lu of Taiwan finishing one shot behind Lee Trevino at the 1971 British Open, and T.C. Chen's famous two-chip gaffe that cost him a chance at the 1985 U.S. Open, where he was runner-up to Andy North. As for the PGA Championship, what remains is whether it will be remembered more for Yang's victory or for Woods losing a 54-hole lead for the first time in a major. "He went out there and executed his game plan," Woods said.

"I think he played beautifully." PGA Championship - Golf Topics - ESPN PGA Championship Results The PGA Championship, operated by the Professional Golfers' Association of America, is the fourth and final major tournament of professional golf's calendar year. First contested in 1916 at the Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, N.Y., the PGA is played at different courses throughout the United States and perennially features one of the strongest fields of participants in golf. Originally set up as a match-play tournament, the PGA Championship now is conducted as a stroke-play event, with four rounds of 18 holes determining the winner, who receives a replica of the famous Wanamaker Trophy. Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus hold the record for most PGA Championship titles, with five each, while Tiger Woods has won the event four times. The PGA Championship has been a stroke-play tournament since its change of format in 1958. A maximum of 156 golfers participate in the tournament, which consists of four rounds of 18 holes. After the first 36 holes of play, the field is reduced to the best 70 scorers (and ties).

Those players compete in the final two rounds, with the lowest score winning the championship. If there is a tie for first place after all 72 holes have been completed, the tournament will be decided by a three-hole, aggregate-score playoff on holes Nos. 10, 17 and 18. If a tie remains, a hole-by-hole playoff will begin on hole No. 10 and move to Nos. 17 and 18 until a winner is decided. The tournament follows the rules of golf as set by the United States Golf Association and applied by the PGA of America Board of Directors, which ultimately oversees the entire PGA Championship. Qualifications The PGA of America selects a list of players eligible to compete in the PGA Championship, consisting of former champions, winners of other major events and club professionals who qualify through a national championship. The full list in 2010 includes: All former PGA Champions Winners of the past five Masters (2006-10) Winners of the past five U.S.

Opens (2006-10) Winners of the past five Open Championships (2006-10) The last Senior PGA Champion The lowest 15 scorers and ties in the 2009 PGA Championship The 20 lowest scorers in the 2010 PGA Professional National Championship The top 70 money winners on the PGA Tour in the period one week prior to the 2009 PGA Championship through two weeks prior to the 2010 PGA Championship Members of the most recent Ryder Cup teams, as long as they are in the top 100 of the Official World Golf Rankings Winners of tournaments co-sponsored or approved by the PGA Tour from the 2009 PGA Championship to the 2010 PGA Championship (excluding pro-am and team competitions) Vacancies will be filled by the first available player from the list of alternates (those below 70th place in the Championship Points list from the 2009 World Golf Championships-Bridgestone International through the 2010 Greenbrier Classic) The PGA can invite other players, not included in those categories, to fill out the total field, which cannot exceed 156 players.

Usually every golfer ranked in the world top 100 can count on a spot at the Championship. The PGA Championship is the only major that does not invite leading amateurs to compete (although they still can qualify by winning another major), having been created as a showcase event for professional golfers rather than wealthy amateurs. In order to continue its commitment to club golfers, the PGA Championship reserves 20 spots (more than any other tournament) for golfers from the PGA club championship, which allows PGA of America members to qualify apart from the touring members. Match-Play Era The inaugural PGA Championship was played in 1916, the same year the Professional Golfers' Association of America was established. The group formed in January of that year, at a meeting of prominent golfers and industry representatives that was organized by department store owner Rodman Wanamaker at the Taplow Club in New York City. Among the association's initial plans to help promote interest in the sport and elevate the vocation of golf professionals, an all-professional tournament was proposed with Wanamaker providing the prize money and awards.

Set up in similar fashion to the existing PGA Championship of Great Britain, the initial PGA Championship was a 36-hole elimination match-play event, held in October 1916 at the Siwanoy Country Club in Bronxville, N.Y. Two British-born players emerged from the bracket of 32 entrants to reach the final of the inaugural tournament, with Jim Barnes defeating Jock Hutchison to claim the Wanamaker Trophy. The event was interrupted for two years by World War I, but Barnes returned in 1919 to successfully defend his championship, finishing with a 6-and-5 victory over Fred McLeod in the final. In 1920, Hutchison earned his first title by defeating Douglas Edgar at Chicago's Flossmoor Country Club. It would take five years into the event's existence before an American-born PGAer claimed the PGA Championship trophy, when Walter Hagen defeated Barnes in the final matchup to win the 1921 event at Inwood Country Club in Far Rockaway, N.Y. The tournament's dominating presence along with Gene Sarazen during the 1920s, Hagen captured four straight PGA titles from 1924 to 1927.

Sarazen became the youngest winner at the age of 20 in 1922 and then repeated as champion the following year by defeating Hagen in a memorable final that was not decided until the 38th hole -- the first time in PGA history that extra holes were needed in the finale. Sarazen was not only the PGA's youngest champion but went on to become its oldest participant when he competed in the 1972 event at the age of 70. He qualified 28 times for the match-play version of the PGA and took part in four PGA Championships after the format switched to a stroke-play tournament in 1958. Other repeat PGA winners during the early years were Leo Diegel (in 1928 and 1929) and Denny Schute (1936 and 1937), who was the last player to successfully defend his PGA title until Tiger Woods accomplished the feat in 2000. World War II forced the cancellation of the PGA Championship in 1943, but that decade saw Byron Nelson, Sam Snead and Ben Hogan claim titles while becoming household names in the sport.

Nelson made five finals over a seven-year period, and won the event in 1940 and 1945. Hogan was champion in 1946 and 1948, when he became the first player since Sarazen in 1922 to win both the U.S. Open and PGA Championship in the same year. Almost a decade after his first title in 1942, Snead won his second PGA at the famed Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club. Following that victory by Snead in 1951, 19 golfers were crowned as PGA champion from 1952 to 1970. In 1957, Lionel Hebert defeated Dow Finsterwald, 3-and-1 in the final, to win the last PGA Championship contested in match-play format. Stroke-Play Era The tournament changed to a stroke-play format in 1958, the year Dow Finsterwald shot a final-round 67 at Llanerch Country Coub in Havertown, Pa., to win the Wanamaker Trophy.

Two years later, Jay Herbert won the PGA at Akron's Firestone Country Club, to mark the first time that American brothers had each won the same major championship. In the 1960s, Gary Player and Jack Nicklaus came into prominence and captured the first of their multiple PGA titles. Player was the fifth foreign-born winner of the PGA Championship, defeating Bob Goalby by one stroke at Aronimink Golf Club (in Newtown Square, Pa.) in 1962. Nicklaus captured the first of his five titles the following year at the Dallas Athletic Club. Arnold Palmer -- the third of the sport's big three of that period -- became the first player to register in the 60s in all four rounds of a major championship at the 1964 PGA, but he finished second that year to Bobby Nichols. He also finished runner-up in 1968 and 1970, and is considered one of the best players to have never won a PGA Championship. Nicklaus' title in 1971 was the beginning of a 13-year stretch that saw him win four PGA Championships, finish second twice and make the top four nine times.

The "Golden Bear's" win in 1973 was his 14th major, overtaking the total Bobby Jones had amassed four decades earlier. He would go on to tie Hagen's record mark of five PGA titles by winning at Oak Hill Country Club in 1980 and later finished his career with a record 14 top-five finishes in the event. Following the 1976 edition, the PGA decided to change its playoff system for the Championship by replacing the 18-hole format with a sudden-death situation for players tied after 72 holes. That new playoff format was needed in each of the next three years, with Lanny Wadkins, John Mahaffey and Australian David Graham all needing extra holes to claim PGA titles. Larry Nelson won the tournament two times in the 1980s, a decade that also featured a second PGA title for both Ray Floyd and Lee Trevino. Following a surprise victory in 1991 by John Daly -- who qualified for the tournament at Indiana's Crooked Stick as an alternate -- two of the next three PGA Championships went to South African Nick Price.

His second win came at Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., which has hosted the tournament the most times (four) in the event's history. Since that time, Illinois' Medinah Country Club and Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville have served as host twice each, with the two courses the sites of Tiger Woods' back-to-back championships in 1999 and 2000. Woods became the fifth-youngest winner of the PGA at Medinah, then repeated as victor at Valhalla, following up wins that season at the U.S. and British Opens in 2000, by outlasting Bob May in the first three-hole aggregate-score playoff in PGA Championship history. The revised, aggregate playoff format also was needed in 2004, when Vijay Singh won his second PGA title over Justin Leonard and Chris De Marco. Woods would win a third PGA title in 2006, also at Medinah, one year after rival Phil Mickelson captured his sole PGA at Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, N.J.

Ireland's Padraig Harrington rallied to claim the 2008 title, becoming the first European-born player to win since 1930. And unheralded Y.E. Yang of South Korea outdueled Woods at Minnesota's Hazeltine National Golf Club to became the first Asian-born male player to win a major golf championship in 2009. Controversy dominated the headlines in 2010, when Dustin Johnson -- who was tied for the lead after 72 holes -- was assessed a penalty following the 18th hole on Sunday for grounding his club in a bunker. The rules violation happened in one of Whistling Straits many bunkers, which had been trampled by the crowd throughout the event. The penalty knocked Johnson out of the playoff, and Martin Kaymer went on to defeat Bubba Watson to earn his first major championship. In 2012, Rory McIlroy won by a record eight strokes, becoming the youngest PGA Championship winner in the stroke-play era. The win gave McIlroy his second career major victory.

Courses Seventy-two courses in 26 states have hosted the PGA Championship (through the 2012 edition), with 14 courses serving as host multiple times over the years. Southern Hills Country Club in Tulsa, Okla., has hosted the PGA four times (1970, 1982, 1994, 2007), while Firestone Country Club (Akron, Ohio), Oakmont Country Club (Oakmont, Pa.) and Oakland Hills Country Club (Bloomfield Township, Mich.) have hosted three times each. The event has been held in New York and Ohio 11 times each, and it has been contested nine times at courses in Pennsylvania. PGA Championship Stroke Play Winners (Since 1958) Year Yang's PGA Championship win stirs hopes for Asian golf boom - USATODAY.com Yang's PGA Championship win stirs hopes for Asian golf boom Posted Enlarge By Kim Ho-chun, Yonhap via AP Y.E. Yang's PGA Championship victory was big news in Seoul, and South Korean President Lee Myung-bak called to congratulate the golfer.

THE YANG YONG-EUN FILE Born: Jeju-do, South Korea Wins: Two PGA Tour (2009 Honda Classic; PGA Championship); seven more worldwide Claim to fame, part I: He beat Tiger Woods by two strokes in the 2006 HSBC Champions in Shanghai. Claim to fame, part II: He came from two shots down in the final round to beat Woods in the PGA Championship on Sunday, becoming the first Asian-born player to win a PGA Tour major. The best finish previously by an Asian-born player in a major was runner-up by three golfers: Lu Liang-Huan in the 1971 British Open, won by Lee Trevino; Isao Aoki in the 1980 U.S. Open, won by Jack Nicklaus; T.C. Chen in the 1985 U.S. Open, won by Andy North. Perks: Yang won $1.35 million, along with a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour and the majors. That was important for a guy who had to go back to PGA Tour qualifying in December. The last player to go from Q-school to PGA champion was John Daly in 1991.

Also, by winning the PGA Championship, Yang moved onto the Presidents Cup's International team, captained by Greg Norman. Elsewhere: He was the Korean PGA Tour rookie of the year in 1997. Also, he is one of two South Koreans to win on the PGA Tour (K.J. Choi) and three to win on the European Tour (Choi, Charlie Wi). Family: Wife, Young Ju Pak (married in 1999); three children From staff and wire reports By Jerry Potter, USA TODAY Y.E. Yang 's countrymen rose at 4 a.m. Monday in South Korea to watch his final-round defeat of Tiger Woods in the PGA Championship. But the full impact of Yang becoming the first Asian-born golfer win one of the sport's major championships might not be felt for a decade. "Clearly, it will excite Asia generally and Korea specifically," said PGA Tour vice president Ty Votaw , who led golf's campaign to join the Olympics. South Koreans have been successful in women's golf since Se Ri Pak won the LPGA Championship and the U.S. Women's Open in 1998.

"Korea was not a golf-playing nation 15 years ago," Votaw said. "Pak put Korea on the map." The golf industry has been looking for opportunities in Asia for several years. Just this year the R&A and Augusta National created the Asia Amateur tournament, to be played this fall in China. The winner gets a spot in The Masters. And the PGA Tour will stage a World Golf Championships event this fall in China, where there is tremendous room for growth. Though Woods, whose mother is Thai, is popular in Asia, Yang's victory brought a different kind of celebration. "It's always been our hope that we will see an Asian player win a major, and that day is here," Asian Tour executive chairman Kyi Hla Han told the Associated Press. South Korean President Lee Myung-bak was among those who watched, and he phoned Yang to congratulate him. "You enhanced our people's morale," Lee told Yang. Yang's victory came four days after the IOC's Executive Committee recommended that the full IOC vote in October to add golf and rugby for the 2016 Olympics. Votaw traces the development of golf in South Korea to the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul.

" The Olympics forced Korea to open up to the world," Votaw said. "Ten years later, we had the success of Se Ri Pak." Contributing: The Associated Press E-mail | Print | To report corrections and clarifications, contact Reader Editor Brent Jones . For publication consideration in the newspaper, send comments to letters@usatoday.com . Include name, phone number, city and state for verification. To view our corrections, go to corrections.usatoday.com . Guidelines: You share in the USA TODAY community, so please keep your comments smart and civil. Don't attack other readers personally, and keep your language decent. Use the "Report Abuse" button to make a difference. Read more . Practice makes perfect for Yang - European Tour European Tour Views From The Leaders - BMW PGA Championship (Day 2) Related Content Views From The Top - BMW PGA Championship (Day 2) Y E Yang was pleased to hang on to his share of the lead during a testing second round of the BMW PGA Championship. The Korean, who in 2009 became the first Asian to win a Major at the US PGA Championship, added a 69 to his opening 65 at Wentworth Club.

Having only dropped one shot on Thursday, Yang had three bogeys and scrambled well on the 15th and 16th to avoid any further shots. However, there were also four birdies and an eagle on the par five 12th to leave him level with Scott Hend and Danny Willett on ten under par. And Yang revealed that the afternoon breeze and hardening greens had made for more difficult conditions on the West Course. “Today was a little windy and the firm greens made it tough but my finish was good so I’m happy,” - YE Yang. “Chipping and everything is difficult, but with a lot of practice and by thinking good I’ve played good.” Jaco van Zyl, who missed an eagle putt from 15 feet on the 18th green that would have made it a four-way tie for the lead, was pleased with his round of 68 after coming home in 33. “I got off to a bit of a slow start and missed a couple of shots and then just started hitting it really nicely on the back nine,” he said.

“You play the first three rounds and keep yourself in contention and if you stay there it basically boils down to the back nine on Sunday.” Tournament Leaderboard KJ Choi gets company on PGA Tour as Korea emerges as world golf power Published: Friday, December 21, 2012 | 1:28 p.m. PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. -- To chase his dream, K.J. Choi had to climb a mountain. His arms were too long for a future in powerlifting, and baseball was just starting to take off in South Korea when he was a teenager. Without money to buy a baseball and a bat, Choi went to the nearest mountain, cut down a pine tree and fashioned his own bat. He played with a tennis ball, but it just wasn't the same. So imagine how he felt when he went to a driving range for a golf demonstration. "Getting to hit a golf ball for the first time with an actual iron, I couldn't forget that solid feeling," Choi said. "It felt much better hitting a golf ball with a real club than hitting a tennis ball with my bat. And that's when I fell in love with it.

I told myself, `Just start golfing, and let's see how far it will take me.' And I kept with it." It has carried him to 17 wins around the world, including The Players Championship, and more than $27 million in career earnings on the PGA Tour. He was the first South Korean to join the PGA Tour when he made it through Q-School in 1999. Now, finally, he has company. And more are on the way. These days, it is much easier for the likes of Seung-yul Noh, Sang-Moon Bae and Sunghoon Kang, who are among eight Korean-born players on the PGA Tour. Beyond American shores, only Australia has more PGA Tour players. They also have role models in Choi and Y.E. Yang, the first Asian man to win a major when he took down Tiger Woods in the 2009 PGA Championship. Most of them are products of the Korea Golf Association, which is pouring resources into golf and has produced a national team that could be the model for other developing golf nations. How strong is the national team?

Korea won the gold medal in the prestigious Asian Games in 2006 in Qatar with a team that featured Kang and Presidents Cup player K.T. Kim. Noh, who was 18 when he defeated Choi in the 2010 Malaysian Open, was an alternate. Bae, who started this year at No. 30 in the world and lost in the quarterfinals to Rory McIlroy at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship, wasn't good enough to make the team. "I tried," Bae said with a laugh. "But there were too many good amateurs in Korea, so I couldn't." A year ago, Bae became the second straight Korean to win the money title on the Japan Golf Tour. Kim won the Japan money title in 2010, while Noh topped the Order of Merit that year on the Asian Tour. The ultimate stop is the PGA Tour, and the numbers are growing. Korean success in America starts with the women. Another reminder came last summer when Na Yeon Choi won the U.S. Women's Open at Blackwolf Run, where Se Ri Pak won the U.S.

Women's Open in 1998 and became a pioneer for women's golf in her country. Korean membership on the LPGA Tour is approaching 50 players. More than 30 of them have won close to 100 times, and 10 have won majors. For years after he became a PGA Tour winner, Choi rarely made it through an interview without being asked why there weren't as many Korean men. The simple answer was the mandatory military service, which comes at a critical development stage for young golfers. Choi had to put in his two years at age 22. He was a rifleman, worked on a radar base and even spent time in the kitchen. His shift was to work two days and have two days off, during which time he could hit balls. Some players have avoided military service by moving from Korea (U.S. Amateur champion Danny Lee to New Zealand, Kevin Na to America). Others have deferred until their 30s, and now there is a major incentive. Kang, for example, is exempt from his military service because he won a gold medal in the Asian Games. Players like Noh and Bae are hopeful of an Olympic medal in 2016.

"That was a big deal for me," Kang said. But it's more than just a military obligation. There was a time when golf was considered only a game for the very rich, not a career path. Korean families invest heavily in their children's future, with a big emphasis on education. Pak's win at the Women's Open paved the way for women. It was still another four years before Choi won in New Orleans for his first PGA Tour win. "Golf wasn't considered a good job for men," Choi said. "You didn't have a guaranteed income. No one knew you could make a living. Nowadays, as soon as you're born, parents stick a golf club in the baby's hands." Choi learned that when he met his future wife and her parents didn't approve. Golf? How could someone provide for his family playing golf? Choi struck a deal that if he were to win a tournament, "I'm coming back and I'm going to take your daughter." "They wanted me to prove I could support her," Choi said through his agent and translator, Michael Yim. "This only took a year to prove. I got my teaching license. I got on the Korean Tour.

And I won." More than $27 million later, do they approve? Choi smiled and said in English, "Big time." Ty Votaw, the executive vice president of international affairs on the PGA Tour, became the LPGA commissioner the year after Pak's watershed moment at Blackwolf Run, and he saw the initial surge from South Korea. Votaw prefers to look at the development of Korea in a timeline that dates to the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, when it opened its markets. Among the Korean golf companies that invested in golf were LG, Samsung and Hyundai. Ten years later, Pak won the Women's Open. Now, two television networks are devoted to golf. The sport is no longer viewed as elitist. In some corners, it's hip. "With golf on TV as much as it is there, golf is much more than a fashion backdrop than in this country," Votaw said. "You go to golf shops, and it's not your standard plaid plants. It's high-end fashion on the men's and women's side of things. It has captured the imagination of the youth.

Even if they don't play golf, they see it as high fashion, and high achievement." At the professional level, Votaw points to a changing landscape of opportunity in that corner of the world. Along with the Korean Tour, the men can make a living and aspire to reach the PGA Tour by playing in Japan (26 Korean players), the Asian Tour (13 players) and the fledgling OneAsia circuit (24 players). Eight players are on the PGA Tour, a group that does not include John Huh, who was born in New York but grew up in Korea. He made it through Q-School, won this year at the Mayakoba Classic in Mexico and was named the PGA Tour's rookie of the year. One reason the men are not arriving to America in greater numbers is the competition. "The worldwide pipeline of really good male players is much bigger," Votaw said. "There's a heck of a lot more competition on the men's side for a player to stand out." Even so, the numbers are impossible to ignore. Only five years ago, 22 players from Korea signed up for Q-School on the PGA Tour. That number more than doubled to 52 a year ago.

One of them was Bae, who was introduced to golf by his mother. He won 10 times on the Korean, Asian and Japan tours before he made it through Q-School last year. "There's so many good players on the PGA Tour," he said. "I couldn't try PGA Tour Q-School because it was such a long trip to Korea. And Q-School is crazy hard. Only 25 people get their PGA Tour cards." Korea, meanwhile, has kept up with its growing demand for golf. With 3 million golfers, the country has 500 golf courses, 4,000 driving ranges and now has some 9,000 certified instructors. Even so, the story behind its success lies with the overwhelming support from the Korea Golf Association, which has 3,600 players -- 2,000 of them men -- registered in its national program from ages 8 to 20. Golf Digest in Korea referred to the program as a "National Standing Army" of players, and the competition is stiff.

The KGA takes eight players (four boys, four girls) at the elementary school level, 22 players from middle school, 26 players from high school and six players from the university level. An additional 12 comprise the national team. Being part of this army means their expenses are paid. All KGA-registered golf clubs waive green fees for these players. They play some half-dozen international competitions each year, with the focus heavily on the Asian Games. And they take part in a winter training camp that last two months, which emphasizes fitness and fosters openness among players. More than anything, it builds pride in wearing the Korean flag on uniforms as a team member. "If we prepare the players steadily from now on, we won't have a problem in winning Olympic medals," KGA Vice Chairman Dong-wook Kim told Golf Digest. All these developments bring a smile to Choi. Even though he hasn't won a major, young Koreans look to him in the same way so many women were inspired by Pak. Kang noted that even when Pak was winning majors, there were other Korean women on the LPGA Tour, such as Mi-Hyun Kim. On the PGA Tour, for the longest time there was only Choi.

At the Memorial this year, there was a poignant moment when two young Koreans stood quietly to the side of the putting green to watch Choi, then going out onto Muirfield Village for a practice round. "When I first started winning on the PGA Tour, they were in their teens," Choi said. "They were kids. And now they're here."

Question: By winning the 2009 PGA Championship who became the first Asian to win a major golf tournament?
Answer: Y.E. YANG