Yang conquers Tiger, and Australian PGA could be next
Sydney Morning Herald
Friday August 21, 2009
THE world's best golfer, Tiger Woods, is already headed for Australian shores this summer. Now the man who beat him in one of sport's great fairytale finishes could be on the way as well.Y.E. Yang, the little-known Korean who humbled the American superstar to win his first major at last week's PGA Championship in Minnesota, may line up at the Australian PGA Championship at Coolum in December after signalling interest in the event to his former caddie and close friend, Queenslander Jaryd Love.Love is a trainee professional at Mt Warren Park in Beenleigh and spoke to Yang soon after the 37-year-old's stunning triumph, where he came from the clouds to become the first Asian player to win a major tournament. It was also the first time Woods had lost a major when he held a final-round lead.Yang told Love he was interested in playing the December event on the Sunshine Coast, which is also the final leg of the newly formed One Asia Super Series that encompasses some of the biggest events in China, Korea and Australasia."I asked when he was coming to Australia and he said, 'Yeah, I've been thinking about it [Coolum]'. I think he'd been thinking about it before the PGA," Love said."Hopefully he supports the new One Asia Tour and does get down here and plays."Love partnered Yang in six tournament wins in Asia as well as his debut US Masters in 2007, but returned to Australia after the life of a full-time caddie took its toll on his young family. He was on the bag when Yang held off Woods to win the HSBC event in China three years ago, although the golfers weren't paired together like last week's PGA.Max Garske, the chief executive of the Australian Professional Golfers Association, said he would use Love's relationship with Yang to try to lure the 37-year-old to Australian shores now an interest had been flagged. Woods is already booked for the Australian Masters at Kingston Heath in November."We're certainly very interested in trying to get him if we can," Garske said. "At this stage, we've heard from a friend of his that he's keen to come, he's keen to support the Korean Tour that is a sanctioning party for the Australian PGA Championship, it being a One Asia event."The Australian Masters has got Tiger and the Australian PGA may have got the man that beat Tiger. It's all pretty exciting."Garske said he would seek a meeting with Yang's management to see if a deal could be struck.If he chose to play, Yang would join fan favourite John Daly in the event which was won last year by Geoff Ogilvy.
© 2009 Sydney Morning Herald