Yang Yong-eun

South Korean golfer (born 1972)

In this Korean name, the family name is  Yang.

Yang Yong-eun

Yang in 2016

Personal information
Full name| Yang Yong-eun
Nickname| The Tiger Killer
Born|  (1972-01-15) 15 January 1972 (age 52)
Sindo-ri, Daejeong-eup, Seogwipo-si Jeju-do, South Korea
Height| 1.76 m (5 ft 9 in)
Weight| 88 kg (194 lb; 13.9 st)
Sporting nationality|  South Korea
Residence| Dallas, Texas, U.S.
Career
Turned professional| 1996
Current tour(s)| PGA Tour Champions
Former tour(s)| PGA Tour
European Tour
Japan Golf Tour
Asian Tour
Professional wins| 13
Highest ranking| 19 (16 May 2010)[1]
Number of wins by tour
PGA Tour| 2
European Tour| 3
Japan Golf Tour| 5
Asian Tour| 1
PGA Tour Champions| 1
Other| 2
Best results in major championships
(wins: 1)
Masters Tournament| T8: 2010
PGA Championship| Won: 2009
U.S. Open| T3: 2011
The Open Championship| T16: 2011
Achievements and awards
| Korean Tour
Rookie of the Year| 1999

|

Korean Tour
Player of the Year| 2004, 2006

Yang Yong-eun (Korean: 양용은; born 15 January 1972), also called Y. E. Yang, is a South Korean professional golfer who currently plays on the PGA Tour Champions. He was previously a member of the PGA Tour, where he won twice, including most notably the 2009 PGA Championship when he came from behind to defeat Tiger Woods, thus winning the first major championship by a male player born in Asia. He is occasionally known by the nickname The Tiger Killer.[2]

## Professional career

[edit]

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In 2006, Yang won the Korea Open, an Asian Tour event, gaining him entry into the HSBC Champions Tournament in November 2006. He won the tournament, beating a strong field including runner-up Tiger Woods. The victory earned him membership of the European Tour and moved him into the top 40 of the Official World Golf Ranking. In 2008 he played on the PGA Tour after earning his membership through qualifying school; he had to regain his tour card in 2009 after placing 157th on the money list in 2008. Yang won his first title on the PGA Tour at the 2009 Honda Classic in his 46th career start in the United States. With this win, he became only the second Korean after K. J. Choi to win on the PGA Tour.

On 16 August 2009, Yang won the 91st PGA Championship, his first major championship, overcoming a two-shot deficit going into the final round to finish three strokes ahead of Woods, his playing partner.[3] The victory was the first major championship for a male player born in Asia, surpassing the runners-up finishes achieved by Lu Liang-Huan in the 1971 Open Championship, Isao Aoki in the 1980 U.S. Open and Chen Tze-chung in the 1985 U.S. Open. The previous best finish by a Korean was Choi's 3rd place in the 2004 Masters Tournament. It was also the first time that Woods had failed to win a major after holding at least a share of the lead at the end of 54 holes.[4] Yang was ranked 110th worldwide prior to the tournament, but moved up to 34th after the victory.[5] The win earned Yang a five-year PGA Tour exemption and helped him to a top ten finish overall on the PGA Tour.

In April 2010, Yang won the Volvo China Open with a one-under-par 71 final round.[6] In February 2011, Yang had his best run at the WGC-Accenture Match Play Championship reaching the quarter-finals before eventually succumbing to American Matt Kuchar, 2 & 1\. Previously Yang had defeated Álvaro Quirós on the 20th hole in round one, Stewart Cink, 4 & 3, in round two and the 2010 U.S. Open champion Graeme McDowell in round three, 3 & 2\.

The following week Yang was in contention for his 3rd PGA Tour title at The Honda Classic, an event where he had earned his inaugural PGA Tour win in 2009. Despite entering the final round five strokes behind the eventual winner Rory Sabbatini, he was able to close the gap to just one stroke by birdieing the par-three 15th, where he was 18 inches away from a hole in one. However, needing an eagle on the par-five 18th after Sabbatini had stretched his lead to two with a birdie on the par-four 16th, he was unable to hole his bunker shot and a birdie earned him a runner-up finish one stroke behind the winner.

Yang at the 2016 Lyoness Open.

Yang reached a career high OWGR ranking of 19th in 2010, but a string of bad finishes and missed cuts in 2013 and 2014 plummeted the former major winner to 638th at the end of 2014, the final year of his PGA Tour exemption after winning the 2009 PGA Championship. A poor 2014 saw Yang finish well outside the top 150 in the FedEx Cup, which limited him to the Past Champions category for 2015. Yang spent much of 2015 playing on the European Tour and Asian Tour. 2015 saw a resurgence for Yang, making the cut at the PGA Championship for the first time in multiple years. Yang moved up to 262nd in the world by November 2015. After a poor 2016 European Tour season where he finished outside 110th, Yang regained his Tour card through Q School.

In 2021, Yang was disqualified from 103rd PGA Championship at The Ocean Course, Kiawah Island Resort, in South Carolina for signing an incorrect scorecard following the second round.[7]

In February 2022, after turning 50, Yang joined the PGA Tour Champions.

## Personal life

[edit]

Yang was born in the island province of Jeju-do.[8][9] He is the fourth of eight children. He started to play golf at the age of 19 while picking golf balls part-time and, later, working as a golf instructor at Jeju's Ora Country Club. Yang learned by watching the movements of players who visited his golf club. Although he now has coaches, Yang is a self-taught golfer.[10] His brother recommended he try hitting balls at a local driving range. Trying to get a 'proper job', Yang fell down a flight of stairs and tore his ACL[11] while he was learning to use an excavator for a construction company.[12] After recovering from his knee injury, he began mandatory service in the South Korean military at the age of 21.

On conclusion of his service, he moved to New Zealand, where he pursued a professional career in golf. He turned semi-pro on 21 July 1995 and pro on 22 August 1996. Yang is married to Young-Joo Park and has three sons. He is an active owner of an indoor golf range in the Koreatown section of Dallas.[13] He currently resides in Southlake, Texas, near fellow South Korean PGA player K. J. Choi.[13]

## Professional wins (13)

[edit]

### PGA Tour wins (2)

[edit]

Legend

Major championships (1)
Other PGA Tour (1)
No.  | Date  | Tournament  | Winning score  | Margin of
victory  | Runner-up

|
|
|
|
|

1  | 8 Mar 2009 | The Honda Classic | −9 (68-65-70-68=271)  | 1 stroke  |  John Rollins
2  | 16 Aug 2009  | PGA Championship | −8 (73-70-67-70=280)  | 3 strokes  |  Tiger Woods

### European Tour wins (3)

[edit]

Legend

Major championships (1)
Other European Tour (2)
No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of
victory | Runner(s)-up

|
|
|
|
|

1  | 12 Nov 2006
(2007 season)  | HSBC Champions1 | −14 (66-72-67-69=274)  | 2 strokes  |  Tiger Woods
2  | 16 Aug 2009 | PGA Championship | −8 (73-70-67-70=280)  | 3 strokes  |  Tiger Woods
3  | 18 Apr 2010 | Volvo China Open2 | −15 (68-66-68-71=273)  | 2 strokes  |  Rhys Davies,  Stephen Dodd

1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour, Sunshine Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia, but unofficial event on those tours.
2Co-sanctioned by the OneAsia Tour

### Japan Golf Tour wins (5)

[edit]

No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of
victory | Runner(s)-up

|
|
|
|
|

1  | 8 Aug 2004 | Sun Chlorella Classic | −13 (67-70-69-69=275)  | 3 strokes  |  David Smail,  Yeh Wei-tze
2  | 7 Nov 2004  | Asahi-Ryokuken Yomiuri Memorial | −17 (69-78-69-65=271)  | 2 strokes  |  Shingo Katayama
3  | 9 Oct 2005 | Coca-Cola Tokai Classic | −18 (66-72-65-67=270)  | 4 strokes  |  Taichi Teshima
4  | 10 Sep 2006 | Suntory Open | −14 (67-68-68-63=266)  | 6 strokes  |  Hidemasa Hoshino,  Toru Taniguchi
5  | 29 Apr 2018 | The Crowns | −12 (67-67-67-67=268)  | 4 strokes  |  Hwang Jung-gon,  Anthony Quayle

Japan Golf Tour playoff record (0–1)

No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result

|
|
|
|

1  | 2006 | ABC Championship |  Shingo Katayama | Lost to birdie on second extra hole

### Asian Tour wins (1)

[edit]

No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of
victory | Runner-up

|
|
|
|
|

1  | 24 Sep 2006 | Kolon-Hana Bank Korea Open1 | −14 (65-67-68-70=270)  | 3 strokes  |  Kang Ji-man

1Co-sanctioned by the Korean Tour

### OneAsia Tour wins (2)

[edit]

No.  | Date  | Tournament  | Winning score  | Margin of
victory  | Runners-up

|
|
|
|
|

1  | 18 Apr 2010 | Volvo China Open1 | −15 (68-66-68-71=273)  | 2 strokes  |  Rhys Davies,  Stephen Dodd
2  | 10 Oct 2010  | Kolon Korea Open2 | −4 (74-71-69-66=280)  | 2 strokes  |  Choi Ho-sung,  Kim Bi-o

1Co-sanctioned by the European Tour
2Co-sanctioned by the Korean Tour

OneAsia Tour playoff record (0–1)

No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result

|
|
|
|

1  | 2012 | Nanshan China Masters |  Liang Wenchong | Lost to birdie on fifth extra hole

### Korean Tour wins (3)

[edit]

No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of
victory | Runner(s)-up

|
|
|
|
|

1  | 3 Nov 2002 | SBS Oriental Fire Cup | −11 (70-69-68-70=277)  | Playoff  |  Choi Sang-ho,  Park No-seok
2  | 24 Sep 2006 | Kolon-Hana Bank Korea Open1 | −14 (65-67-68-70=270)  | 3 strokes  |  Kang Ji-man
3  | 10 Oct 2010 | Kolon Korea Open2 (2)  | −4 (74-71-69-66=280)  | 2 strokes  |  Choi Ho-sung,  Kim Bi-o

1Co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour
2Co-sanctioned by the OneAsia Tour

Korean Tour playoff record (1–0)

No. | Year | Tournament | Opponents | Result

|
|
|
|

1  | 2002 | SBS Oriental Fire Cup |  Choi Sang-ho,  Park No-seok | Won with eagle on first extra hole

### PGA Tour Champions wins (1)

[edit]

No. | Date | Tournament | Winning score | Margin of
victory | Runner-up

|
|
|
|
|

1  | 8 Sep 2024 | Ascension Charity Classic | −13 (65-69-66=200)  | Playoff  |  Bernhard Langer

PGA Tour Champions playoff record (1–0)

No. | Year | Tournament | Opponent | Result

|
|
|
|

1  | 2024 | Ascension Charity Classic |  Bernhard Langer | Won with birdie on first extra hole

## Major championships

[edit]

### Wins (1)

[edit]

Year | Championship | 54 holes | Winning score | Margin | Runner-up

|
|
|
|
|

2009 | PGA Championship | 2 shot deficit | −8 (73-70-67-70=280) | 3 strokes |  Tiger Woods

### Results timeline

[edit]

Results not in chronological order in 2020.

Tournament  | 2005  | 2006  | 2007  | 2008  | 2009

|
|
|
|
|

Masters Tournament |  |  | T30  |  | CUT
U.S. Open | CUT  |  |  |  |
The Open Championship | CUT  |  | CUT  |  |
PGA Championship | T47  |  | CUT  |  | 1
Tournament  | 2010  | 2011  | 2012  | 2013  | 2014  | 2015  | 2016  | 2017  | 2018

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Masters Tournament | T8  | T20  | T57  | CUT  | CUT  |  |  |  |
U.S. Open | CUT  | T3  | CUT  | CUT  | CUT  |  |  |  |
The Open Championship | T60  | T16  | CUT  | T32  | CUT  |  |  |  |
PGA Championship | CUT  | T69  | T36  | CUT  | CUT  | T48  | CUT  | CUT  | CUT
Tournament  | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024

|
|
|
|
|
|

Masters Tournament |  |  |  |  |  |
PGA Championship | CUT  |  | DQ  | CUT  | CUT  | CUT
U.S. Open |  |  |  |  |  |
The Open Championship |  | NT  |  |  |  |

Win

Top 10

Did not play

CUT = missed the half-way cut
"T" = tied
DQ = disqualified
NT = No tournament due to COVID-19 pandemic

### Summary

[edit]

Tournament | Wins | 2nd | 3rd | Top-5 | Top-10 | Top-25 | Events | Cuts made

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Masters Tournament | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 4
PGA Championship | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 17 | 5
U.S. Open | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 6 | 1
The Open Championship | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 7 | 3
Totals | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 37 | 13

* Most consecutive cuts made – 5 (2011 Masters – 2012 Masters)
* Longest streak of top-10s – 2 (2009 PGA – 2010 Masters)

## Results in The Players Championship

[edit]

Tournament  | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014

|
|
|
|
|
|

The Players Championship | CUT  | T34  | CUT  | CUT  | CUT  | CUT

CUT = missed the halfway cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place

## Results in World Golf Championships

[edit]

Tournament | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012

|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|

Match Play |  |  |  | R64  |  |  | R32  | QF  | R32
Championship | 64  |  |  | T65  |  | 74  | T30  | T39  | 59
Invitational |  |  |  | T56  |  | T19  | T46  | T53  | T36
Champions |  | T33  | T51  |  |

Top 10

Did not play

QF, R16, R32, R64 = Round in which player lost in match play
"T" = tied
Note that the HSBC Champions did not become a WGC event until 2009.

## Team appearances

[edit]

Professional

* Royal Trophy (representing Asia): 2007, 2012 (winners)
* Presidents Cup (International team): 2009, 2011
* World Cup (representing South Korea): 2009

## See also

[edit]

* 2007 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
* 2008 PGA Tour Qualifying School graduates
* 2016 European Tour Qualifying School graduates
* List of men's major championships winning golfers

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Week 20 2010 Ending 16 May 2010" (pdf). OWGR. Retrieved 25 September 2019.
2. ^ "Quiet Yang is the Tiger Killer".
3. ^ Dorman, Larry (16 August 2009). "Y. E. Yang Shocks Woods to Win at P.G.A." The New York Times. Archived from the original on 17 December 2009. Retrieved 16 August 2009.
4. ^ "Yang catches Woods for USPGA win". BBC Sport. 16 August 2009. Retrieved 16 August 2009.
5. ^ "Yang beats Tiger and becomes first Asian major winner". The Sydney Morning Herald. 17 August 2009.
6. ^ "Yang eases the pressure with victory". The Irish Times. The Irish Times Limited. 19 April 2010. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
7. ^ Morse, Ben (21 May 2021). "Y.E. Yang, the man who beat Tiger Woods to win the 2009 PGA Championship, is disqualified". CNN. Retrieved 22 May 2021.
8. ^ "Y. E. Yang". PGA Tour. 2014. Archived from the original on 16 October 2014.
9. ^ "Yang slightly nervous about playing on home soil". Golf.com. 20 April 2010. Archived from the original on 3 March 2014.
10. ^ "Yang's life changed forever with win over Tiger". NBC Sports. Associated Press. 17 August 2009. Archived from the original on 18 August 2009. Retrieved 17 August 2009.
11. ^ Lerner, Rich (17 August 2009). "What's Next for Y.E. Yang?". The Golf Channel. Archived from the original on 22 February 2010. Retrieved 19 August 2009.
12. ^ "PGA Championship, 'Wild' Woods". The Chosun Ilbo (in Korean). 17 August 2009. Archived from the original on 14 February 2017. Retrieved 17 August 2009.
13. ^ a b Nichols, Bill (8 April 2010). "Since historic win, Korean golfer finds balance with family in Southlake, at Dallas driving range". The Dallas Morning News. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011.

## External links

[edit]

* YE Yang at the Korean Tour official site (in Korean)
* Y E Yang at the Japan Golf Tour official site
* Y.E. Yang at the PGA Tour official site
* Y.E. Yang at the European Tour official site
* Y.E. Yang at the Asian Tour official site
* Y.E. Yang at the Official World Golf Ranking official site

* v
* t
* e

PGA Championship champions

Match play
era|

* 1916 Jim Barnes
* 1919 Jim Barnes
* 1920 Jock Hutchison
* 1921 Walter Hagen
* 1922 Gene Sarazen
* 1923 Gene Sarazen
* 1924 Walter Hagen
* 1925 Walter Hagen
* 1926 Walter Hagen
* 1927 Walter Hagen
* 1928 Leo Diegel
* 1929 Leo Diegel
* 1930 Tommy Armour
* 1931 Tom Creavy
* 1932 Olin Dutra
* 1933 Gene Sarazen
* 1934 Paul Runyan
* 1935 Johnny Revolta
* 1936 Denny Shute
* 1937 Denny Shute
* 1938 Paul Runyan
* 1939 Henry Picard
* 1940 Byron Nelson
* 1941 Vic Ghezzi
* 1942 Sam Snead
* 1944 Bob Hamilton
* 1945 Byron Nelson
* 1946 Ben Hogan
* 1947 Jim Ferrier
* 1948 Ben Hogan
* 1949 Sam Snead
* 1950 Chandler Harper
* 1951 Sam Snead
* 1952 Jim Turnesa
* 1953 Walter Burkemo
* 1954 Chick Harbert
* 1955 Doug Ford
* 1956 Jack Burke Jr.
* 1957 Lionel Hebert

Stroke play
era|

* 1958 Dow Finsterwald
* 1959 Bob Rosburg
* 1960 Jay Hebert
* 1961 Jerry Barber†
* 1962 Gary Player
* 1963 Jack Nicklaus
* 1964‡ Bobby Nichols
* 1965 Dave Marr
* 1966 Al Geiberger
* 1967 Don January†
* 1968 Julius Boros
* 1969‡ Raymond Floyd
* 1970 Dave Stockton
* 1971 Jack Nicklaus
* 1972 Gary Player
* 1973 Jack Nicklaus
* 1974 Lee Trevino
* 1975 Jack Nicklaus
* 1976 Dave Stockton
* 1977 Lanny Wadkins†
* 1978 John Mahaffey†
* 1979 David Graham†
* 1980 Jack Nicklaus
* 1981 Larry Nelson
* 1982‡ Raymond Floyd
* 1983‡ Hal Sutton
* 1984 Lee Trevino
* 1985 Hubert Green
* 1986 Bob Tway
* 1987 Larry Nelson†
* 1988 Jeff Sluman
* 1989 Payne Stewart
* 1990 Wayne Grady
* 1991 John Daly
* 1992 Nick Price
* 1993 Paul Azinger†
* 1994 Nick Price
* 1995 Steve Elkington†
* 1996 Mark Brooks†
* 1997 Davis Love III
* 1998 Vijay Singh
* 1999 Tiger Woods
* 2000‡ Tiger Woods†
* 2001 David Toms
* 2002 Rich Beem
* 2003 Shaun Micheel
* 2004 Vijay Singh†
* 2005 Phil Mickelson
* 2006 Tiger Woods
* 2007 Tiger Woods
* 2008 Pádraig Harrington
* 2009 Y. E. Yang
* 2010 Martin Kaymer†
* 2011 Keegan Bradley†
* 2012 Rory McIlroy
* 2013 Jason Dufner
* 2014 Rory McIlroy
* 2015 Jason Day
* 2016 Jimmy Walker
* 2017 Justin Thomas
* 2018 Brooks Koepka
* 2019 Brooks Koepka
* 2020 Collin Morikawa
* 2021 Phil Mickelson
* 2022 Justin Thomas†
* 2023 Brooks Koepka
* 2024‡ Xander Schauffele

† indicates the event was won in a playoff; ‡ indicates the event was won wire-to-wire; 1943 cancelled due to World War II

Yang Yong-eun in the Presidents Cup

* v
* t
* e

International Presidents Cup team – 2009

* Robert Allenby
* Ángel Cabrera
* Tim Clark
* Ernie Els
* Retief Goosen
* Ryo Ishikawa
* Geoff Ogilvy
* Adam Scott
* Vijay Singh
* Camilo Villegas
* Mike Weir
* Yang Yong-eun

* Greg Norman (non-playing captain)

Lost: 19.5 – 14.5

* v
* t
* e

International Presidents Cup team – 2011

* Robert Allenby
* Aaron Baddeley
* K. J. Choi
* Jason Day
* Ernie Els
* Retief Goosen
* Ryo Ishikawa
* Kim Kyung-tae
* Geoff Ogilvy
* Charl Schwartzel
* Adam Scott
* Yang Yong-eun

* Greg Norman (non-playing captain)

Lost: 19 – 15
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