Commentary

Jason Sobel's live blog

Originally Published: August 16, 2009
By Jason Sobel | ESPN.com

Jason Sobel's Round 4 PGA Championship Live Blog(08/16/2009) 
1:55
Kevin Maguire, ESPN.com:  Hello from Chaska, Minn., site of the 91st PGA Championship. Jason Sobel's final-round PGA Championship blog will begin shortly. Thanks for tuning in.
2:04
JasonSobel:  

Good afternoon from overcast Hazeltine National, where rain may play a factor in the final round of the 91st PGA Championship as Tiger Woods looks to continue his reign atop the leaderboard in search of a wire-to-wire victory.


I can safely report that Woods drove a Buick to the course today and is wearing a red Nike shirt. It would only be of little more surprise if he didn't claim his 15th major title and fifth career Wanamaker Trophy later this afternoon. As well all know, Tiger is 14-for-14 when holding the 54-hole lead at a major.


But ...


That doesn't mean he's never been caught on a Sunday. Three times at major championships players have come from behind to share the lead with Tiger by the end of regulation -- Bob May at the 2000 PGA Championship, Chris DiMarco at the 2005 Masters and Rocco Mediate at the 2008 U.S. Open. In each instance, of course, Woods later prevailed in a playoff.


Just because you may not be sweating his chances to win No. 15 doesn't mean that Tiger himself isn't feeling the heat.


"We are all nervous out there," he said after yesterday's third round. "I'm in the same boat as everyone else, but you've got to go out there and execute shots, and that's the fun, and that's the rush and that's the thrill of it. That's why you play hard."


We're 45 minutes away from Woods' tee time in the final pairing with Y.E. Yang. As always, I'll be here with the Live Blog until the final putt drops -- and beyond. Stay here throughout the round and submit any questions/comments in the space provided below or to Twitter at JasonSobel. You may now swing away ...

2:11
JasonSobel:  Y.E. Yang is on the short list of players who have defeated Tiger Woods down the stretch of a tournament, besting him at the 2006 HSBC Champions in China.


Can he replicate that feat in today's final round? Recent history says no.


From the ESPN Stats and Information Department:


Playing with Tiger is not easy, even when he doesn't win. Since 2003, Tiger has played the final round of a major 23 times (missed cut at '06 U.S. Open and '09 British Open). His partner has finished under par four times and never won.

Only seven playing partners have played better than Tiger on the final day of a major. In the last 10 majors, it has happened only once, and that was Phil Mickelson at this year's Masters.


Here is the breakdown of Tiger vs. his final-round playing partners in majors since 2003 ...


Tiger Woods:
Avg. score: 70.9
+/- to par: -5
Wins: 5


Tiger's playing partners:
Avg. score: 73.5
+/- to par: +56
Wins: 0


In those 25 events, Woods has beaten his playing partner by a combined 61 strokes. Good luck, Y.E.!
2:11
Do you prefer the new Live Blog format to the old one?
Yes
 ( 81% )
No
 ( 19% )

2:15 [Comment From Rob ]
So are we thinking Mike Weir in the '99 PGA (80) or Bob May in '00 (66, forced playoff)?
2:19
JasonSobel:  Let's split the difference and call it a 73. Nothing against Yang, who has played brilliant golf, recording a score of 11-under-par for his last 31 holes, but I just don't think he can keep it up -- especially having never played under this type of spotlight before.


Once the final pairing was set yesterday evening, I e-mailed my buddy Roland Thatcher, who finished in a share of second behind Tiger at the Buick Open, but played with Yang in the third round, in hopes of getting his analysis of the Korean's game. Here's what he told me:


"He's sneaky long, especially if the fairways are firm. He rocks the putter and rolls the putts well. Good fairway wood player. Lower ball flight than I like, but probably plays well in the wind, like at the Honda. Gonna get drilled by Tiger, just like everyone else."


With some rain expected to come down throughout the afternoon -- after a downpour last night -- the course may play softer, but it'll be longer, too. Doesn't necessarily set up for a long-ball hitter.
2:29
JasonSobel:  

How many players have a chance to win today? I say three -- and here's why ...

If any other player was atop the leaderboard, being 4-5 strokes back entering the final round would hardly be an impossible margin to overcome. Considering it's Tiger, though, I have a hard time believing anyone can come back from such a deficit. Think about it: Tiger is currently at 8-under-par. I don't think he'll shoot any worse than yesterday's round of 1-under 71, which would leave him at 9-under for the tournament.


If that happens, can Padraig Harrington and/or Y.E. Yang shoot 68 and pass him? Absolutely. But for those further back -- Lucas Glover and Henrik Stenson are at 4-under; Ernie Els and Soren Kjeldsen are at 3-under -- it would mean shooting either 66 or 67.


Is that number out there today? No way. Of the 23 players who have finished already, the best score is 71. Anytime things toughen up on the final day, it's most beneficial for the guy who is leading.


And remember: The tournament-best round so far is 67, achieved by Woods in Round 1 and Yang in Round 3. If Glover or Stenson match that today, and if Woods shoots 71 again, that only means a playoff.


I think this one is a three-man race, barring an unforeseen poor final round for Woods.

2:30 [Comment From Greg ]
Watching the morning TNT coverage and saw Tiger plow over a 4 year old on the way to the clubhouse without so much as a second look. For a guy who has everything, why not take a second? I get the "laser" focus, but come on - he lost two fans (kid and dad) if not more with that one.
2:32
JasonSobel:  Well, first of all, he didn't "plow over" the kid; he actually tussled his hair as he walked past. Secondly, if Tiger stops, he actually loses more fans, because he might sign an autograph for the kid, but he'll have to down down the other 5,000 who come barreling at him full speed in hopes of one for themselves.


There's a time and place to interact with the fans and Tiger does plenty of it. But prior to playing in the final pairing at a major isn't the time.
2:38
JasonSobel:  Here are the yardages for each hole from tee marker to the cup in today's final round, with yardages on the scorecard in parenthesis:

No. 1: 496 (490)
No. 2: 438 (431)
No. 3: 627 (633)
No. 4: 220 (210)
No. 5: 438 (448)
No. 6: 413 (405)
No. 7: 549 (572)
No. 8: 167 (176)
No. 9: 440 (432)
No. 10: 462 (452)
No. 11: 608 (606)
No. 12: 515 (518)
No. 13: 240 (248)
No. 14: 301 (352)
No. 15: 640 (642)
No. 16: 393 (402)
No. 17: 189 (182)
No. 18: 480 (475)


A few interesting notes ...


The seventh hole should not only be reachable in two for most players, it's got to be a birdie hole. Neither Tiger Woods nor Padraig Harrington made birdie there yesterday. A par will feel like a bogey today.


For a third straight day, the 14th tee box is moved up, as players need to carry it only 288 yards to reach the front of the green.


At 7,674 on the scorecard, the course will play 7,616 yards today -- just 58 yards shorter.
2:40 [Comment From Chris ]
Despite me writing here a ton while watching and my displeasure witgh yesterdays conservative nature I hope Tiger is on and hitting middle of greens today with this weather. He'll make a few of the putts and force guys to shoot low. I think he will birdie 2 of the 5s.
2:44
JasonSobel:  Look, Tiger may be the best golfer in the world and the greatest competitor in this sport (or any sport), but there's a notion that he's also the most exciting.


While that's true when he sinks a winning putt to win at Bay Hill or drops an 8-iron out of the sky to within inches at Firestone, when he owns the lead going into a final round, the dude is actually kinda boring. And it's by design. After yesterday's round, Woods admitted that his strategy was to knock his approach shots on the green and lag putt for par.


I don't expect a dissimilar strategy today. He doesn't need to shoot 63 to win. Anything under par may be enough to get it done. He likely has a target score in mind -- prior to seeing the leaderboard, I would have thought it might be 69, but with no one going low, he may have amended to 70 or 71 -- and when he does that, he often executes.
2:44 [Comment From Michael ]
The streak for the cash golf prop for today is "Tiger Woods wins by 3 or more strokes" vs. "Any other result." Which would you pick and why?
2:45
JasonSobel:  I'd take any other result. I think he wins by 1 or 2. Does just enough to claim the W. In fact, sounds like a poll question ...
2:46
What will be today's final result at the PGA?
Tiger wins by 3 or more strokes
 ( 13% )
Tiger wins by 1 or 2 strokes
 ( 46% )
Tiger wins in playoff
 ( 14% )
Tiger does not win
 ( 27% )

2:46
JasonSobel:  Now on the tee ... Tiger Woods.


Hits a 3-wood down the right side, just barely kicks into the first cut, but in good position from there.
2:48
JasonSobel:  Y.E. Yang drives one into the fairway. Deep sigh of relief throughout his hometown of Seoul.
2:49 [Comment From Andy ]
If Tiger does squander the lead today and lose, there's going to be some Monday morning quarterbacking on his conservative strategy on Saturday, right? How severe is it going to be, and is it a valid argument that by not firing at the flags Saturday he cost himself a chance?
2:52
JasonSobel:  Absolutely. He is by far the most scrutinized player out here. If he plays conservatively again today and gets passed to lose this tournament, the pundits will be out in full force criticizing his strategy.


While there will be something to that if it happens -- you can make the case in this scenario that Tiger lost the tourney more than another player will have won it -- that sort of criticism will go against everything TW has ever done in the final round when holding the lead. If you're going to knock him for playing this way at Hazeltine, you have to admit that you were wrong in saying he shouldn't have played this way on so many other occasions.
2:53
JasonSobel:  

Uh, so much for that conservative play.


Actually, allow me to explain it a little bit: It's not as if Tiger won't fire at any flagsticks; he'll just take what the course is giving him.


And that explains the iron shot he just fired into the first green, riding the slope to pin-high, about 6 feet from the hole. Good birdie opportunity from there.

2:58
JasonSobel:  

Tiger's putt from 6 feet away is left the whole time. Taps in for par.

Obviously, he's nervous playing with Y.E. Yang.

Yang, meanwhile, two-putts for par of his own.

3:00 [Comment From Robert (Memphis) ]
What kind of effect do you thik the weather will have on the greens? Tiger's putting the first two days was much better than yesterday and so far today.
3:01
JasonSobel:  If you really want to know, ask Geoff Ogilvy, who shot an even-par 72 earlier today ...
3:01
Twittergeoffogilvy:  I am thinking we should all pool together and buy the PGA a lawn mower for christmas
3:03
JasonSobel:  They're a little hairy out there today, not exactly the glass-like surfaces we see at the U.S. Open every year.


By the way, with that tweet Ogilvy has officially surpassed Stewart Cink and Ian Poulter as the PGA Tour's No. 1-ranked tweeter.
3:07
JasonSobel:  Great shot by Lucas Glover into the third green. He'll have a shorty left for birdie.
3:09
JasonSobel:  If it starts pouring again, that's because Tiger's 8-iron into the second green was enough to bring rain. Lands it on the front of the green, will have about 15 feet remaining for birdie.


He made one of his two birdies in yesterday's round at this hole, though that putt was about 10 feet closer.
3:10 [Comment From Todd (Toronto) ]
The ESPN front page link to your blog teases that Tiger, if he wins, "will have a five-year run that's second to none"... Seems obvious, but are you going to elaborate on that point?
3:11
JasonSobel:  If he wins today, he would tie Walter Hagen as the only players to win at least one major championship title in five straight years. Pretty impressive stat.
3:12
JasonSobel:  For birdie on No. 2, Y.E. Yang has the right line, but leaves it just a little short.


He doesn't appear very nervous at all.


Meanwhile, Tiger was stalking that one, may have gotten a very good read off of it ...
3:14
JasonSobel:  

Tiger burns the edge on the right side of the hole, but it doesn't drop. He settles for par.


He still hasn't made a putt of longer than 5 feet since Friday. I know there's no way of finding this out, but I wonder what the record is for shortest putt (or fewest feet in made putts) by a major champion on the weekend. If Woods has a repeat performance of yesterday and still wins, he may own that record.

3:17 [Comment From Steve (Gateshead UK) ]
How come Lucas Glover is so far under the radar? Not only is he the current US Open champion but he's actually only 4 shots back..All I have read is whether Harrington can catch Woods or the usual articles that basically assume Woods has already won, its like Glover doesn't exist..
3:19
JasonSobel:  He's playing some great golf -- made that birdie putt on No. 3 to move to 5-under -- but as explained before, he'll need to go low to make up a 4-shot deficit. If any other player was atop the leaderboard, I'd say he has a good chance. But with Tiger the man in the lead, I don't think he can do it. But I've been wrong many, many times before ...
3:22
JasonSobel:  For the first time since the final round of last year's Masters, Tiger Woods failed to make a birdie on any par-5 hole on a par-72 course during a single round in yesterday's third round.


His first chance comes right now on No. 3. After driving to a fairway bunker, Woods knocks one down the fairway. Will be looking to get up and down from there.
3:24
JasonSobel:  For his part, Padraig Harrington was only 2-under-par on the par-5 holes coming into the final round.


He's still 2-under after making par on No. 3. That's three straight pars to start the day ... but he's now in the right-hand greenside bunker off the fourth tee.
3:25
JasonSobel:  Tiger with a wedge into the third green and yells for it to "bitebitebitebitebitebitebitebitebitebitebite ... BITE!"


It doesn't.


Lands it about 35 feet above the hole. Will do nicely to two-putt from there.
3:25 [Comment From Jonah Kyle ]
Tiger said "bite" 17 times on the TIVO replay.
3:26
JasonSobel:  That's some solid counting out of you.
3:26 [Comment From Josh - Minnesota ]
For what it's worth, it was a 6-iron, not a wedge.
3:26
JasonSobel:  Duly noted. My bad.
3:27 [Comment From Dustin B ]
Poeple were complaining about tiger's use of four letter words. Does that count?
3:27
JasonSobel:  OK, that one got a laugh.
3:27 [Comment From Laura ]
I counted 18.
3:27
JasonSobel:  First major controversy of the day. Uh, let's move on ...
3:30
JasonSobel:  Another birdie for Lucas Glover on No. 5 after a second strong approach shot on three holes.


He moves to 6-under, in a share of second with Harrington and Yang -- the only player in the top six under par for the day.
3:30
JasonSobel:  Lag putt for Tiger. Two-putt par. Three in a row. No-mistake golf from him so far.
3:31
JasonSobel:  ESPNEWS interview. Back in a few ...
3:35
JasonSobel:  Birdie for Y.E. Yang on No. 3. He's within 1 of the lead!


No nerves for this guy -- at least not that we see on the outside. He said yesterday that he would go for broke and he's playing that way so far today.
3:39
JasonSobel:  After four straight pars, Padraig Harrington hits an 8-iron from 150 yards to within 15 feet of the hole on No. 5. Will have an uphill putt from there.
3:41
JasonSobel:  If Y.E. Yang had hit his birdie putt just a tad bit harder on both the second and fourth holes, he would be the leader right now.


In each instance, Yang had the line, but just didn't hit it hard enough. He just cleaned up for par to remain at 7-under.
3:42
JasonSobel:  In Round 3, Tiger missed a 3-footer for par for his only bogey of the day.


This one was from 4 feet.


A second straight three-putt for Woods on this hole and he's now 1-over for the day and tied with Y.E. Yang for the lead. Wow!
3:44
JasonSobel:  Just goes to show how quickly things can change on the leaderboard. Tiger held a 2-shot lead about 15 minutes ago. Now it's tied at the top.
3:45
JasonSobel:  Padraig Harrington failed to convert his birdie bid on No. 5. He remains even for the day and 1 shot back.


Nothing wrong with that. I keep talking about what a patient player he is. He'd love to make a few birdies at some point, but pars are good scores today.
3:47 [Comment From john ]
Y.E.Yang, winner of 2009 PGA?. would it be the worst 4 winners of majors in the same year along with Glover, cink and pato cabrera.
3:49
JasonSobel:  Hate to say "worst" major winners -- everyone has deserved what they've earned. But this would definitely mark a fourth major this year where the prevailing favorite -- and by favorite, I mean the guy who the majority of fans wanted to see win -- failed to take the title. Kenny Perry at the Masters, Phil Mickelson (or David Duval) at the U.S. Open, Tom Watson at the British Open ... could Tiger Woods join that group?
3:51
JasonSobel:  Tiger has never spent so much time testing the wind and backing off shots because of it than he has this season.


Just did it again here on No. 5, then dumped one in the greenside bunker to the left.
3:56
JasonSobel:  Round of the day so far is from John Merrick, who is 3-under with one hole to play. If he makes par on the last, that would be a 69 -- two strokes higher than yesterday's low score.


If it holds up, that would be two majors this season in which Merrick had the lowest score in the final round. He shot 6-under 66 on Sunday at the Masters.
3:57
JasonSobel:  Sixth straight par for Harrington on No. 6.


Yang bogeys No. 5.


Tiger saves par on No. 5.


And Woods once again is in sole possession of the lead, a stroke in front of the other two and 2 ahead of Lucas Glover.
3:58 [Comment From Pat ]
At this point, it's down to the top 4 guys, right?
3:59
JasonSobel:  I called it a three-man race before the leaders teed off, but sure, we need to throw Lucas Glover into the mix now, too.


I suppose the guys at 3-under -- Rory McIlroy, Brendan Jones, Ernie Els, Soren Kjeldsen and Henrik Stenson -- can be considered part of the mix, but I still don't see any of them making up a 4-stroke deficit to Tiger Woods.
4:01
JasonSobel:  New poll coming up. Interested to see what you think. I say no, but I think I'll be in the minority ...
4:01
If Tiger Woods doesn't win the PGA, should he be criticized for his conservative strategy over the final two rounds?
Yes
 ( 39% )
No
 ( 61% )

4:03
JasonSobel:  Y.E. Yang is getting a little loose ... and I don't mean that in a good way.


Yang fans his tee shot on the sixth hole and will be hitting his second from amongst the trees.
4:03
JasonSobel:  Great recovery by Yang! He'll have about 15 feet for birdie from there.
4:04
JasonSobel:  John Merrick fails to convert his par attempt on the final hole. He shoots 70, which is still the round of the day so far -- no one has finished in the 60s.
4:06
JasonSobel:  Tiger is trying to get his approach on No. 6 to "bitebitebitebitebitebitebite" (my words this time; not his), but instead it hits the back of the green and bounces into the rough just behind. That was about a yard from taking a second bounce on the green and spinning all the way back. Now he'll have a testy downhill chip.
4:07
JasonSobel:  Soren Kjeldsen is no kjoke.


Birdie on No. 7 is his third in four holes. He's got things to 4-under right now.
4:08
JasonSobel:  Nice chip by Tiger to within a foot of the hole. Taps it in from there to remain at 7-under.


Yang could once again claim a share of the lead if he polishes off this birdie putt for an amazing up and down.
4:10
JasonSobel:  Once again, Y.E. Yang has the line. Once again, he leaves it short.


That's three of those for Yang today. Even though he's playing well, he could be up a stroke on Tiger if even just two of those three putts had gone in.


Instead, it's a nice par and he remains at 6-under, one shot behind.
4:13
JasonSobel:  Fill in the blank: If he beats Tiger and wins the PGA Championship, the Y.E. in Y.E. Yang's name should stand for _________.
4:14
JasonSobel:  Seventh straight par for Harrington. Sounds nice, but once again he fails to take advantage on a par-5. That could hurt him later.
4:15 [Comment From Adam ]
Your Excellency
4:15 [Comment From John ]
Yield Eldrick
4:15 [Comment From Bill ]
You'll envy
4:15 [Comment From dan (memphis) ]
Y.E. = Yip Eeee!
4:16 [Comment From Bearman ]
Yeomen Effort
4:16 [Comment From Richard Wendland ]
Year Ender
4:16 [Comment From Robert (Memphis) ]
"Young Eldrick"
4:17 [Comment From rob ]
he actually has a third initial. S
4:18
JasonSobel:  OK, enough of that. Especially since that was the biggest collective Blog Jinx in a while.


Yang yanks one on No. 7. For the gallery, Y.E. right now means, "Yell, everyone!"
4:21
JasonSobel:  Tiger lays up on No. 7 from 250. Interesting choice, but it tells us a lot about his mindset.


With his third shot, he spins a wedge back off the ridge guarding the hole. Will have about 30 feet back up the hill for birdie. Another disappointing third shot into a par-5.


If he doesn't make this putt, it will mark six straight par-5 holes without a birdie.
4:24
JasonSobel:  Padraig Harrington hits into the water on No. 8, takes a drop, then nearly de-brains Henrik Stenson with his next shot.


FYI, I believe there's no penalty for hitting another player, another player's caddie or another player's bag. I mean, other than the penalty of having to wipe the guy's blood off his forehead.
4:25
JasonSobel:  Tiger putting up the slope for birdie ... has the line ... and stays just inches short of the hole.


That's another par for Woods on a par-5.
4:27
JasonSobel:  Um, did someone just put Padraig Harrington on the clock?


He's playing the eighth hole worse than he did at No. 16 last Sunday.


After nearly clunking Stenson, Harrington blades one well past the green and into the water.


He just dropped and chipped short of the green. If he gets up and down from here, it'll be a quintuple-bogey 8.
4:29
JasonSobel:  

Told you the weather would be a factor this afternoon. I just saw a snowman out on the course.


The bad news for Harrington? He just made a quintuple-bogey 8 on the eighth hole. The good news? It only goes down as a one-putt on the stats.

4:31
JasonSobel:  Certainly looks like a two-man race right now.


Tiger into the bunker on the right side on No. 8.


Yang follows by hitting a dart to about 5 feet.


I believe "Y.E. Yang" is Korean for "Bob May."
4:31
JasonSobel:  ESPNEWS interview with Steve Bunin. Back in a few ...
4:36
JasonSobel:  I believe Y.E. Yang just told Tiger, "You're still away."


From the bunker on No. 8, Woods pitches through the green and to the right fringe, about 15 feet away. Meanwhile, Yang is still waiting to hit his birdie from 5 feet.
4:37
JasonSobel:  Tiger just barely misses the par attempt coming back. That's a second bogey on the par-3 holes today. For the week, he has played these holes in 3-over-par without a single birdie.


If Yang holes this putt, he's in sole possession of the lead.
4:38
JasonSobel:  Y.E. = Yikes, Everybody.


Yang just Tom Watson'd that one.


Ugly stroke that never had a chance. We have co-leaders once again, with Woods and Yang at 6-under.
4:43
JasonSobel:  Tiger hits 3-wood off the tee on the ninth and does his patented spin of the club after the follow-through. When he does that, you know it's perfect.


Interestingly enough, Tiger is actually driving the ball well today. Oftentimes when he struggles, it's because his game off the isn't working and he's forced to hit second shots from amongst the gallery. But he's kept it in play today and still isn't scoring.


If Yang had holed a few of those birdie attempts, he'd be in terrific shape with 10 holes to play.
4:44 [Comment From Ben (Indiana) ]
Is it time to consider Soren Kjeldsen a kjustifiable contender?
4:45
JasonSobel:  Kjustifiable comment, but no, not yet. He kjust made bogey on No. 10 to kjump down the leaderboard to 3-under.
4:46
JasonSobel:  Tiger hits his approach to pin-high on No. 9, but not very close. He'll have about 35 feet from there.


Meanwhile, Yang is inside of him, but still a good 20 feet away.
4:48
JasonSobel:  Interesting note from the PGA Tour:


Since turning professional, Tiger Woods has recorded 42 over-par rounds in the final round out of a total of 220 total final rounds (72-hole tournaments only). Out of those 42 occasions, he has only won six times (14 percent).
4:48 [Comment From Mike (Reno,NV) ]
Like we said yesterday, Jason, Tiger needed to improve his iron play the most.
4:51
JasonSobel:  True -- and I agreed with that notion -- although that putter could use some work right now. Again, Tiger hasn't made a putt of longer than 5 feet since a 20-footer for birdie on No. 16 in the second round.


He just lagged his attempt on the ninth hole to par range and will close out the front side with a 2-over 38 -- certainly not what he was hoping for. Conservative golf doesn't mean bad golf -- or poor scoring.
4:52
JasonSobel:  Yang two-putts for par as well, and we have co-leaders heading to the back nine of the PGA Championship.


Dramatic stuff. We'll learn something about Tiger Woods -- and definitely about Y.E. Yang -- over the next two hours.
4:53 [Comment From Tom ]
Tiger will lose this one. First choke job of his career
4:55
JasonSobel:  Nope. As I posted earlier this week, Tiger once told me in a sitdown interview that his biggest choke was at the 1996 Quad Cities Classic, when he lost to Ed Fiori.


He may not admit it, but I've got to believe that losing a major after holding the 18-, 36- and 54-hole leads will feel like more of a choke than anything he did at the age of 20.
4:56
JasonSobel:  Members' bounces for each player off the tee on 10. Both go left, both wind up in the fairway.


Somewhere, Sergio Garcia just whined about never getting any breaks.
4:57 [Comment From Delta from MD ]
Sobel, really...what can we learn about Tiger Woods that we don't already know?
4:59
JasonSobel:  What can we learn?! For one thing, we might learn that he's not invincible when he enters the final round of a major on top of the leaderboard. Or we could learn that he could go an entire weekend without making a single putt and still win. Or we could learn that he can turn from playing mediocre golf to great golf in a matter of minutes.


I agree that there aren't often times we can learn much more about Woods, but this is one of those times.
5:00
JasonSobel:  After getting a great kick back into the fairway, Woods hits his approach shot to pin-high on 10, about 12 feet from the hole.


Great birdie chance from there. Can he finally make one of these mid-rangers?
5:02
JasonSobel:  Yang is on the green, but short and left of the hole. He'll be up first with his birdie putt.
5:04
JasonSobel:  

For the record, Lucas Glover, Rory McIlroy and Soren Kjeldsen are in a share of third place at 3-under.

Is it a two-man race? Maybe ...

5:05
JasonSobel:  By my count, Y.E. Yang has now missed five birdie putts by a matter of inches.


The latest comes on No. 10, as it stops about two rotations short of the hole.


Now comes Tiger, from about 15 feet and the lead by himself ...
5:07
JasonSobel:  Good speed, bad read.


Once again, Tiger misses a birdie putt on the left side. That's now 30 straight holes without making a putt of more than 5 feet. I can't remember him ever doing that in a tournament.


Woods and Yang remain tied for the lead with eight holes to play.
5:09
Twittercjzero:  @jasonsobel Fire up the cliche generator, the only winner today is Hazeltine. I feel like a casual NASCAR fan watching just for accidents
5:09
@JasonSobel:  You're right -- it definitely has that type of feel. Last man standing at the finish line wins the race.
5:10
What result would you most like to see?
Tiger Woods wins in regulation
 ( 44% )
Y.E. Yang wins in regulation
 ( 25% )
Tiger Woods wins in playoff
 ( 25% )
Y.E. Yang wins in playoff
 ( 7% )

5:13
@JasonSobel:  Long lay up by Yang to between the bunkers on No. 11. Will have a short wedge into the green from there.
5:13
@JasonSobel:  Tiger has 280 yards to the green. With a 3-wood in his hand, he's going for it ...
5:15
@JasonSobel:  Fantastic shot by Woods to the front of the green. He'll have about 30 feet back uphill for eagle.


If that par-5 eagle/birdie-less streak doesn't end here, I'll be shocked.


Of course, Yang has a flip wedge into the green. He could very easily match birdie for birdie here.
5:18
@JasonSobel:  After a great bounce with his tee shot on 10, Yang gets a bad one with his wedge shot into the green on 11.


His ball kicks to the right and stays well below the hole. He'll have a lengthy one left for birdie.
5:19
@JasonSobel:  Let's call this one 40 feet up the hill for eagle for Tiger ...


Another lag putt remains about 2 feet short. He should be able to knock it in from there for birdie.
5:20
@JasonSobel:  

Now here's Yang. Definitely got some help from Tiger's putt, as he has about the same line from 20 feet away ...

But he misses on the high side. Taps in for a disappointing par -- especially after that second shot.

5:21
@JasonSobel:  Woods does indeed make birdie -- his first in 14 holes and first on a par-5 since the 15th on Friday afternoon -- and once again takes sole possession of the lead at 7-under-par with seven holes to play.
5:22 [Comment From Chase ]
Hey this just in: reading the house healthcare bill, it looks like provison 4325 does give the government the authority to force mental evalutations upon those 13% that have voted Tiger will not win this thing.
5:24
@JasonSobel:  That was funny.


Still not a foregone conclusion, though. Seven holes to play.


For what it's worth, Tiger has played holes 12 through 18 in 5-under-par. Yang has played 'em in 4-under.
5:24
@JasonSobel:  Woods follows his birdie by driving into the gallery on the left side of No. 12. Starting to see those tee shots getting a little loose down the stretch.
5:25 [Comment From Scotty ]
Just remember, when Tiger wins. He will say, "I just kept battling." He tends to overthink putts when he gets frustrated, and today I think he is doing that.
5:27
@JasonSobel:  

I have no doubt. If he wins, those will absolutely be the first four words out of Tiger's mouth when he is interviewed after the round.


Winning this tournament will almost feel like a relief for Woods, rather than a success.


I remember once reading something Pat Riley said about winning not feeling as great as losing feels bad. I get the same feeling about Tiger. He loves winning, but more because it means he didn't lose.

5:29
@JasonSobel:  Trying to play a hook from left rough on No. 12, Tiger flies the green and won't have much green to work with coming back.


Will be a testy up-and-down from there, although the one part of Woods' game that has been on point this weekend is his greenside chipping.
5:30
@JasonSobel:  Yang's approach into the 12th green finds the left side. Long birdie putt coming up.
5:32
@JasonSobel:  We started the round with 18 players under par. Now there are 10.
5:33
@JasonSobel:  Woods tries to hit a little flop and take the spin off it. Flies it past the pin and will have about 15 feet coming back for par.


So much for being great with a wedge in his hands from around the greens.
5:34 [Comment From Michael ]
The last 7 holes are always the greatest with Tiger. He has someone on his heels and the media is trying to create competition via the poor sap who is paired with him and bam! He wins again! Enjoy it, boys and girls.
5:35
@JasonSobel:  The media? Um, dude, we didn't put Y.E. Yang on the leaderboard. He did it all himself.


I suppose it would be pure propogranda to note that Yang just knocked his birdie putt on 12 to within tap-in range. If Woods doesn't convert this par attempt, we're back to all square at the top.
5:36
@JasonSobel:  Woods for par ... and it just misses to the right.


He follows up that birdie with a bogey. Meanwhile, Yang makes his par and we're back to co-leaders at 6-under-par with six holes to play.
5:39
@JasonSobel:  

In case you're wondering, if this final pairing was playing match play format -- hey, that's what they did at the PGA prior to 1958 -- Y.E. Yang would be 2-up on Tiger right now.

Yang would have won holes 3, 4, 8 and 12, while Woods would have won just the fifth and 11th.

5:41
@JasonSobel:  Yang finds the left bunker off the tee on the par-3 13th hole.


Tiger follows by hitting a dart. He'll have a great chance for birdie coming up.
5:44
@JasonSobel:  The Bob May comparison has come up a few times already, but there were a lot of differences between that final round in 2000 and this one. First off, Tiger and May weren't playing together in regulation. Secondly, they were making putts, not missing 'em.


Through 12 holes, Woods and Yang have combined for just two birdies today.
5:44
@JasonSobel:  Yang with a decent bunker shot, but will still have about 10-12 feet left to save par.
5:45 [Comment From tigerfan ]
Jason, make a call: Is this going in?
5:45
@JasonSobel:  I say yes. Playing the percentages. Has to make one at some point, right?
5:46
@JasonSobel:  Blog Jinx! Yell


Woods misses to the left. Wow. Just can't get the reads down. Speed looks great, though, which means nothing without the read.
5:47
@JasonSobel:  

Yang drains his par attempt and punctuates it with a Tiger-like fist-pump.


Could have been a two-shot swing there; instead, we remain all tied up with five holes to play.

5:48
@JasonSobel:  And yes, I know Tiger and May played together in 2000. My bad ...
5:51
@JasonSobel:  Looking down the leaderboard, Lee Westwood is currently the clubhouse leader at 3-under-par after shooting a final-round 70.


I think he can safely pack up the trunk of the courtesy car, though, and head for the airport. We won't see both Tiger and Yang drop 3 shots in the next five holes.


Rory McIlroy, Ernie Els and Henrik Stenson are also at 3-under, still on the course. Stenson just had a makeable eagle chip, duffed it and missed the putt to finish with par on 14.
5:52
@JasonSobel:  Most fun hole on the course this week ... the short par-4 14th.


They're each going for it ... but Yang finds a greenside bunker ... and then Tiger follows him.


A pair of eagle pitches from the hazard coming up.
5:56
@JasonSobel:  Tiger from the bunker ... nice little uphill lie should help ...


Not bad, but not great. Leaves it about 12 feet short of the hole. Hmmm ... I can't remember: Have we seen him hit one from this range yet today?
5:57
@JasonSobel:  

WOW! We've been waiting for fireworks all day and Y. E. Yang just pulled 'em off!


From the rough just next to the bunker on 14, Yang chips in for eagle!!!

5:58
@JasonSobel:  Tiger needs to make this one for birdie just to remain a stroke behind with four holes to play ...
5:58
@JasonSobel:  

Say this much for Tiger Woods: He makes 'em when he needs to.

TW follows Yang's eagle chip with a holed birdie putt of his own.

5:59
@JasonSobel:  What did I say about Woods and May making shots while these guys weren't today? Forget it -- we just saw a couple of great ones ... although Yang's was a little more great than Tiger's.


If Yang goes on to win, that's gotta be one of the shots of the year.
6:00 [Comment From Scott ]
Maybe Tiger will get aggressive now. He's mostly been a bore to watch the last two days, playing so conservatively. The old Tiger would have gone for the kill yesterday.
6:02
@JasonSobel:  

Maybe, but the old Tiger didn't win as much as the current Tiger, percentage-wise.

But yeah, at some point, Woods needs to amend that approach. Then again, it's not like he hasn't hit some iron shots close; he just hadn't made anything from outside of 5 feet until two minutes ago.

6:03
@JasonSobel:  If Yang is nervous now knowing the Wanamaker Trophy could be within his reach, he's not showing it. Stripes his tee shot down the fairway on 15.


And if that was striped, Tiger's was pummeled. He's past Yang by about 50 yards. That was an angry swing.
6:04
@JasonSobel:  

Nice par save from Rory McIlroy on the 18th hole to close at 3-under-par.

Could be a T-3 finish for the 20-year-old sensation from Northern Ireland.

6:06
@JasonSobel:  Will be interesting to see if Tiger goes for the green from here. I think he can. He's not a guy who is accustomed to laying up on the par-5s, but has been forced to do that many times throughout the week. Just a guess, but I think he pulls 3-wood and tries to give it a rip.
6:07 [Comment From Raymond ]
I agree with the guy about the old Tiger. I guess we'll never again see the Tiger who ran away with the Masters.
6:09
@JasonSobel:  Unreal. Dude can win today by coming from behind on the final four holes ... and he'll still be criticized for not winning by more.


A win is a win, folks. Tiger knows it -- and that's why he doesn't play risky golf anymore. Of course, that strategy hasn't done much for him the past two days, but it's won him plenty of tourneys over the past half-decade.
6:10
@JasonSobel:  Tiger's got a 5-wood from 282 yards ... and, uh, maybe he decided to lay up anyway.


Yikes. Uncharacteristic mistake from Woods. Looks like he came up about 50 yards short with that one, although it's still not awful. He's on the right side of the fairway and will have a flip wedge into the green from there.
6:12 [Comment From Chuck ]
Anyone who finds Tiger's play boring knows nothing about the game of golf. He's arguably a better player than ever before. I think Tiger raised the bar of competition and other players are raising their levels of play.
6:13
@JasonSobel:  Funny, the "old Tiger" went to a playoff with Bob May nine years ago. When we look back on that, though, we don't criticize him for not winning by more. And if he wins today, I think we'll appreciate it in the future for what it was rather than writing it off because he didn't win by 10. That's a ridiculous notion.
6:14
@JasonSobel:  Wedge shot for Tiger spins to 12 feet below the hole. Yes, another 12-footer coming up. He's had 'em from that range all day.
6:15
@JasonSobel:  First little bit of nerves for Y.E. Yang down the stretch?


Hitting his third shot from inside of Tiger's, he chunked it a little and only finds the front part of the green. He'll have a 30-footer for birdie from there.
6:17
@JasonSobel:  

Yang for birdie ... and as we've seen all day, he finds the line, but leaves it just a little short.

If we could combine Yang's reads with Tiger's speed, every single putt would find the bottom of the cup today.

6:17
@JasonSobel:  Yang taps in for his par to remain at 8-under-par. Now Tiger has a 12-footer for birdie and a share of the lead.
6:19
@JasonSobel:  

And he misses.

Woods just misses yet another 12-footer on the pro side. Good read, good speed. It just didn't fall in.

That's another par for Tiger on a par-5 -- he finished just 1-under on the par-5 holes for the weekend.

Woods trails by a stroke with three holes to play.

6:21
@JasonSobel:  Here's what each player has done on the last three holes so far this week ...


Y.E. Yang:
16: Double-par-birdie
17: Par, par, par
18: Par, par, par


Tiger Woods:
16: Par, birdie, par
17: Par, par, par
18: Par, bogey, par
6:22
@JasonSobel:  Yang first up off the tee on 16 ... finds the fairway.


And now Tiger ... he's in the short stuff, too.
6:26
@JasonSobel:  Whether you want Tiger to win by 10 or don't want him to win at all, you have to admit that this is pretty great drama. And you can make the point that Woods being down 1 with three holes to play is more entertaining than being up by 1.
6:27
@JasonSobel:  Woods first up to hit on 16 ... not a great approach shot. Hangs on the front left of the green.
6:28
@JasonSobel:  No conservative approach for Yang. Flirting with the water on the right side, he hangs one about pin high, 20 feet away. Wow. If that was about two more yards to the right, he'd be in a world of trouble.
6:29
@JasonSobel:  Let's get a tape measure out for this putt of Tiger's. Looks like 45-50 feet, at least.


He'd love to just get this close and take his chances with a potential Yang miss. If TW makes it, expect to hear the roar from Hazeltine in your living room.
6:30
@JasonSobel:  Big left to right breaker for Woods ... not even close.


Misses it on the low side. Not even a tap-in par from there.
6:31
@JasonSobel:  Tiger marks his ball. Now it's Yang's turn to try to step on his opponent's throat by making one here.


Upon second look, it's a little farther than I thought. Maybe 25 feet or so. Certainly no gimme ...
6:32
@JasonSobel:  This time Yang has the speed, but not the read. Misses to the left, as it breaks just at the end. Decent effort and he cleans up for the par to remain at 8-under.
6:33
@JasonSobel:  Like I said, no kick-in for Tiger here. Has about 4-5 feet to save his par ... and it's good. Tiger remains 1 back with two holes to play.
6:34
@JasonSobel:  

Two holes to play. Yang up by 1 on Tiger.

Without having any stake in the end result, don't you feel a little nervous about the outcome? Just waiting on pins and needles a bit?

6:37
@JasonSobel:  As we've heard at each of the year's first three majors in which Asian-born players have gotten into the mix (Singo Katayama at the Masters, Azuma Yano at the U.S. Open and Kenichi Kuboya at the British Open), no player born in Asia has ever won a men's major.


Three have finished runner-up. They are:


Lu-liang Huan (1971 British Open)
Isao Aoki (1980 U.S. Open)
T.C. Chen (1985 U.S. Open)
6:38 [Comment From Drew ]
Yes, my stress level has far surpassed that of my wedding and birth of my first born. I'm calling in sick as we speak, regardless of the outcome. I'm exhausted.
6:38
@JasonSobel:  I'm with you. Everyone else? No work tomorrow. Take the day off. You've earned it.
6:40
@JasonSobel:  Y.E. Yang off the tee on the par-3 17th ... nice, safe shot. He'll have about 35 feet for birdie. Below the hole and to the right.
6:41
@JasonSobel:  And here's Tiger ... stops to check the wind for the millionth time this season ...
6:42
@JasonSobel:  Woods likes it ... he's staring it down ... and it hits the back of the green and jumps into the back rough.


Looked like one club too much there. We've seen other players in the past club down when the adrenaline is pumping. Gotta wonder whether Tiger needed to do that right there.
6:44
@JasonSobel:  When was the last time we saw this? Tiger's final-round playing partner is putting the pressure on him ... and Tiger is looking like the guy who can't keep up down the stretch.


Usually it's Woods who is waiting for the opponent to make an unforced error, but right now Yang is in control and he's content to make pars.
6:44
@JasonSobel:  Here's Tiger from the back rough ... duffed it.
6:45
@JasonSobel:  WOW. Tiger just didn't hit it. Left it about 18 feet above the hole. That's not only disappointing, it's shocking.
6:45
@JasonSobel:  If Yang holes this birdie attempt, there's a chance he could have a 3-stroke advantage with one hole to play.
6:46
@JasonSobel:  Chances are, he'd just like to cozy it up tight and make par ...
6:46
@JasonSobel:  Oh no! Yang leaves it way short! He'll have about 10 feet left for par! And the door is still open for Woods!
6:47
@JasonSobel:  Yang responds with a sigh and smile -- he's had a great attitude throughout the day -- but you know that one is killing him on the inside.
6:47
@JasonSobel:  Now here's Tiger from about 18 feet ...
6:48
@JasonSobel:  And he misses. Just read a little too much left-to-right break in that one and it stayed out to the left.
6:48
@JasonSobel:  That's a fourth bogey of the round for Woods. He drops to 6-under.
6:48
@JasonSobel:  And now Yang can own a 2-shot lead if he holes this one for par from 10 feet ...
6:48
@JasonSobel:  Here's the putt of the tournament ...
6:49
@JasonSobel:  And it lips out!
6:49
@JasonSobel:  Yang misses from 10 feet. Taps in for a three-putt bogey and it remains a 1-stroke differential going to the final hole.
6:50
@JasonSobel:  Unbelivable drama. One hole to go -- the 475-yard 18th. Tiger Woods down by 1 in hopes of claiming his 15th career major championship. Doesn't get much more entertaining than this.
6:52
@JasonSobel:  New poll ...
6:52
What will happen on the 18th hole?
Yang will win tournament
 ( 51% )
Woods will force playoff
 ( 45% )
Woods will win tournament
 ( 4% )

6:52
@JasonSobel:  Yang drives just into the first cut of rough on the left side.
6:53
@JasonSobel:  Tiger swings as hard as he has all day and stripes one down the right side.
6:53
@JasonSobel:  I'm not sure how nervous Yang is, but even the rooster on his shoulder is starting to shake.
6:54
@JasonSobel:  Hey, look! Padraig Harrington is still playing!


The 2008 champion makes par on the last hole to shoot 78 -- not bad when you consider he took a quintuple-bogey on one hole.
6:56
@JasonSobel:  I was kidding about the nervous rooster joke. The fact is, Yang looks like he's hitting any shot on a Thursday afternoon.
6:57
@JasonSobel:  WOW! Y.E. Yang just had a Shaun Micheel moment! Great shot to within 6 feet of the hole!
6:57
@JasonSobel:  That was a hybrid from there. And Tiger may need to hole out for eagle to win ...
6:58
@JasonSobel:  Tiger is taking his time over this one. He's got 197 to the hole ...
6:58
@JasonSobel:  Staring it down ... and it stays in the rough just left of the hole.
6:59
@JasonSobel:  Unless Woods can chip in from there, Yang will be able to two-putt for the win. Amazing.
7:01
@JasonSobel:  Here are some of the numbers that appear as if they are about to change ...


Tiger: 14-0 with at least share of lead into final round of major.


Tiger: 47-3 with at least share of lead into final round of any PGA Tour event


Tiger: 11-0 with outright lead into final round of major.


Tiger: 36-1 with outright lead into final round of PGA Tour event (36-0 since '96 Quad Cities Classic, which was his third event as a pro).


Tiger: 70 career PGA Tour wins; Yang: 1
7:01
@JasonSobel:  Tiger chipped in on No. 14 yesterday. He needs to do it again just to have a chance here ...
7:02
@JasonSobel:  

Not even close. Tiger chips it well past the hole.

7:02
@JasonSobel:  Woods may still be away. Yang is going to be able to lag one from 8 feet and tap in for the Wanamaker Trophy.
7:03
@JasonSobel:  And here is Y.E. Yang for the win ...
7:03
@JasonSobel:  

It's in!!! And Y.E. Yang is the 2009 PGA Championship winner!

7:04
@JasonSobel:  Tiger Woods has now lost for the first time when holding a 54-hole lead at a major.
7:04
@JasonSobel:  Who knew the 2006 HSBC Champions tournament -- where Yang bested Woods in the final round -- would be a precursor to a major championship?
7:05
Which major result was the most disappointing this year?
Masters
 ( 7% )
U.S. Open
 ( 8% )
British Open
 ( 58% )
PGA Championship
 ( 27% )

7:06
@JasonSobel:  Tiger Woods joins Kenny Perry, Phil Mickelson, David Duval and Tom Watson in a truly unpredictable major championship season that saw four really good story lines upended by four really good, deserving players who earned their way into the winner's circle.
7:07
Twitterkanemar:  @JasonSobel if the pga wants anyone to watch the grand slam of golf they should let the runners-up play
7:09
@JasonSobel:  

I'd have to say the British Open may have been the most disappointing result, but today's PGA was truly the most unpredictable. I know. Not exactly going out on a limb with that one.

7:10
@JasonSobel:  If you list every PGA Tour member alphabetically, then turn 'em upside-down, the top two would look exactly like the top two on the leaderboard today.
7:11 [Comment From Warren ]
Results pending following a motion by Norm Coleman to verify the scorecards. j/k
7:11
@JasonSobel:  Recount?
7:11 [Comment From Shaun from Philadelphia ]
Is it safe to say that Yin was Yang's partner today? Because he looked perfectly balanced all day.
7:12
@JasonSobel:  Some columnist will definitely steal that line tonight. It might be me.
7:12 [Comment From Sonny ]
Is it just me or should having an unknown guy come out of nowhere to be the first guy to outplay tiger in a final pairing of a major be the opposite of disappointing? What happened to rooting for the underdog?
7:13
@JasonSobel:  I've always wondered about this one. In every other sport, the majority roots for the underdog, but in golf the fans want to see the best players win every single time.
7:14 [Comment From Daniel ]
Hey Jason, do you think Yang will win Player of the Year?
7:15
@JasonSobel:  Valid question. He has a major and one other win (Honda Classic). None of the other three major champions this year has another victory. A lot depends on how he plays down the stretch.


By the way, in 10 tournaments in which they've both been in the field this year, this is the first time that Yang has finished higher than Woods.
7:16 [Comment From Will ]
A travesty for golf. Tiger played incredibly poorly by his standards and Yang played underwhelmingly adequately, and still only won on the 18th. Depressing how limited this generation of golf is if you exclude Tiger, who is under ridiculous pressure every time out as he nears the record...
7:18
@JasonSobel:  

Again, I don't get it. I get asked this question every single time Tiger wins: "When will someone finally step up to Tiger and beat him in a final round?" Now a player does exactly that ... and it's a travesty for golf?

Perhaps this adds fuel to Tiger Woods' fire. Maybe it gets him more motivated next year. But let's stop asking the question about someone stepping up to beat him in a major. It just happened.

7:18 [Comment From Chad ]
Tiger choked and I hope it makes him focus a little more next time. Since he never chokes...
7:20
@JasonSobel:  Wow, a lot of strong opinions out there ... strong and wrong.


Do you really think Tiger lost today because he wasn't focused? I mean, did you see him checking his phone for baseball scores during the round? Or pointing to some pretty clouds? Or signing autographs?


Not really sure how you can say that he wasn't focused. He didn't play well, didn't make any putts and lost the tournament. But he focused the whole time.
7:21
@JasonSobel:  Here are Tiger's worst final-round performances since turning pro:


2004 U.S. Open: 76
2009 PGA Championship: 75
2003 Masters: 75
1999 Masters: 75
1997 PGA Championship: 75
7:21 [Comment From Dino ]
Since no one else wants to say it, I will. Yang won that major. Tiger did not make any major mistakes. Yang outplayed him and putted better. That simple.
7:24
@JasonSobel:  Can't argue with that. Yang shot the best round of the day on BOTH Saturday and Sunday. You do that at any golf tournament and you're likely going to win.


That said, I do think that Tiger Woods lost this tournament, too. Not trying to take any credit away from Yang, who deserves a huge amount of praise for doing something that no other player had ever done before, but Tiger held the 18-, 36- and 54-hole leads. And didn't win after 72 holes. Yes, Yang won it, but Tiger did lose this one, too.
7:24 [Comment From S.H. Cho ]
This is a terrific day for Koreans. Yesterday was our independence day and what a way to celebrate!
7:26
@JasonSobel:  Absolutely. I was asked earlier this week about the chance of having an Asian-born winner of a men's major and said it would happen in the next five years or so ... but I never thought it would be this week.


Not sure this will resonate in Asia the same way that Tiger's Masters win in 1997 did in the U.S., but if it even resonates one-tenth as much, this win will have a huge impact on growing the game globally.


I'd love to know whether the driving ranges in Korea and other parts of Asia will be packed over the next few weeks with everyone wanting to become "the next Y.E. Yang."
7:28
TwitterBrianscottf:  @jasonsobel @realskipbayless what about Tiger pulling a lebron and not speaking to the media afterward?
7:29
@JasonSobel:  Getting a lot of questions about this. It's not true. He didn't speak with CBS after the round, but came into the interview room at the media center for about 10 minutes and answered a bunch of tough questions.
7:34
@JasonSobel:  Here is some of what Tiger Woods had to say after his round (when I have Yang's comments, I'll pass them along, too) ...


On his disappointing round: "I hit the ball so much better than obviously my score indicates. I hit it great all day. I made absolutely nothing. I just have to say terrible day on the greens. And I had it at the wrong time. I either misread the putt or had bad putts. I didn't make anything except for the 14th hole. I think it was the only putt I made all day. I had plenty of looks. I was certainly in control of the tournament for most of the day, but just didn't make anything today. I hit the ball great off the tee, hit my irons well. I did everything I needed to do except for getting the ball in the hole."


On whether he lost the tourney as much as Yang won it: "It's both. I mean, I certainly -- as I say, I was in control of the tournament most of the day. I was playing well, hitting the ball well. I was making nothing, but still either tied for lead or ahead. And Y.E. played great all day. I don't think he really missed a shot all day. He just made that mistake at 17. But other than that, he hit it great all day. And it was a fun battle."


On what was most disappointing about his week: "I didn't win today. As I said, I played well enough the entire week to win the championship, and especially today I hit the ball well enough. And you have to make putts, and I didn't do that. All the other 14 major championships I've won, I've putted well for the entire week. And today was a day that didn't happen."
7:35
TwitterKFHightower:  @JasonSobel please admit that Tiger gagged with bogeys on the last two!
7:38
@JasonSobel:  He hit too much club into 17 -- and blamed the wind.


"I made just a sweet swing," he said. "If you notice, I backed off because the wind had switched dead against me. And it was supposed to be down and across. ... I hit my shot. I got the downwind gust. I couldn't ask for a better golf swing, just hit it right over the top of the flag. And unfortunately didn't get up and down."


As I wrote during the round, Tiger has been more aware of the wind more this year than ever before during his career. Turns out a gust the wrong way did him in -- if we are to believe what he said.


As far as 18? The tournament was over. Tough to grind over an 8-footer for par when it has no bearing on the tournament.
7:39 [Comment From DavidM ]
Remember that Jack Nicklaus had, I believe, 16 second-place finishes at majors to go along with his 18 wins. Jack didn't win all the time either, and he probably had a major or two in the bag and finished second. Today proves that Tiger is human, after all, just like Jack.
7:42
@JasonSobel:  

You're right on both counts. After going eight years as a pro without a runner-up finish, Woods now has five in the past five years. You can either look at that from an optimistic viewpoint -- when he doesn't win, he still gets close -- or a pessimistic one -- he's not turning those title contentions into victories.

For his part, Jack was stuck on 14 for a while, too. He won the 1975 PGA Championship for No. 14, then went 10 majors without a victory, until he claimed the 1978 British Open.

7:47
@JasonSobel:  

Fantastic week here at Hazeltine. Drama, entertainment and we witnessed a few things that have never before happened in a major championship.


Congratulations to Yong-Eun Yang on his well-deserved victory. If you had Angel Cabrera, Lucas Glover, Stewart Cink and Yang as your four major winners prior to the season, good work. The rest of us will just continue enjoying the unpredictable nature of these things.


As always, thanks for all of the questions and comments throughout the week. Check out ESPN.com for more coverage of the tournament and if you still have any unanswered questions, send 'em to me at pgablog@gmail.com. Until next time, hit 'em straight ...

7:54
 
 

Jason Sobel | email

Golf Editor, ESPN.com
Jason Sobel, who joined ESPN in 1997, earned four Sports Emmy awards as a member of ESPN's Studio Production department. He became ESPN.com's golf editor in July 2004.

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