Trail-Blazer Yang Tips More Asian Major Moments

Kiawah Island, North Carolina, United States: Korean YE Yang believes it will not take another 12 years for the region to herald a third Major champion following Hideki Matsuyama’s stunning victory at last month’s Masters Tournament.

Ahead of this week’s PGA Championship – the second Major of 2021 – Yang tipped six-time PGA Tour winner Matsuyama to compile more Major victories and also expects his fellow countrymen such as Im Sung-jae and Kim Si-woo to succeed on the Major stage.

Yang created golfing history in 2009 when he became Asia’s first male Major champion by winning the PGA Championship at Hazeltine, overturning a two-shot deficit in the final round to defeat Tiger Woods in a memorable head-to-head duel.

It took more than a decade before Asia savoured another Major high when Matsuyama became the first Japanese champion at the Masters. Yang followed every shot of the final round at Augusta National on TV.

“I watched the final round until the final moment. Hideki stayed in control of his game until the end without losing focus. He earned the title to become the first Asian player win at Augusta National. I congratulate him. I believe he can win more Major titles and he will have a positive effect on Japanese and Asian golf. Prior to the Masters, I always felt Hideki could win one of Majors,” said Yang.

As a former PGA champion, Yang will feature in this week’s 156-man field at the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island alongside four other Koreans – Im, Kim, An Byeong-hun and last week’s AT&T Byron Nelson winner Lee Kyung-hoon.

They will be joined by the Japanese trio of Matsuyama, Takumi Kanaya and Rikuya Hoshino, and Thailand’s Jazz Janewattananond.

Yang, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour, is preparing to make the transition to PGA Tour Champions as he turns 50 next January. He’s kept himself competitive by playing in tournaments on the Korn Ferry Tour and in Asia in recent times.

“Twelve years have passed since the first Asian win in a Major and Hideki subsequently won. I think more Asian players will go on to win Major titles now,” said Yang, who believes Im, Kim, An and Lee are all potential candidates to be Asia’s next Major champion.

“As for Hideki, now that he has won the Masters and several other PGA Tour tournaments, I can only see him setting a record for most PGA Tour wins by an Asian player – as long as he keeps his focus on the game.”

Yang has vivid memories of his famous triumph over Woods. “It’s been more than 10 years now that I competed against Tiger and won. That event will always stay in my memory. It will be one of my career highlights for sure,” said Yang, who is confident he can be competitive on PGA Tour Champions, and is hopeful of receiving a number of exemptions next year through his success on the PGA Tour.

“If I get onto PGA Tour Champions, I will be one of the younger players. I will try my best to make every event count and perform well. When I play on the PGA Tour and Korn Ferry Tour, I feel I’m not the same like during my younger days. I hope to be more competitive on Champions Tour.

“I’ve enjoyed my time on the PGA Tour where there were some ups and downs. But I feel very proud with my success and have great pride and joy,” said Yang, who has made 192 starts on the PGA Tour and amassed close to US$9 million in prize winnings.