Why was YE Yang’s 2009 PGA Championship win over Tiger Woods such a historic upset?

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YE Yang's 2009 PGA Championship victory over Tiger Woods was a historic upset due to significant disparities in their career achievements and Woods' unparalleled dominance at the time.

YE Yang's triumph at the 2009 PGA Championship, where he defeated Tiger Woods head-to-head, is widely considered one of the greatest upsets in sports history. This perception was largely driven by the stark contrast in their established careers and Woods' near-invincible record leading into the tournament. Yang, at the time, was not a widely recognized player, holding only one previous win, while Woods had amassed an impressive 70 career victories.
Disparate Career Achievements

At the time of the 2009 PGA Championship, YE Yang had achieved two PGA Tour wins, with a career earnings of nearly US$9 million. This stood in sharp contrast to Tiger Woods, who had already secured 70 PGA Tour victories. Yang's journey to this point was also less conventional, having picked up golf at 19 and later becoming a teaching professional before turning professional. His success was built through dogged determination on tours in Korea and Japan before earning his PGA Tour card in 2007.
Tiger Woods' Unprecedented Dominance

Tiger Woods entered the 2009 PGA Championship in exceptional form, having already won five tournaments that year. Crucially, Woods had never before lost an outright 54-hole lead in 36 previous occasions, a testament to his remarkable consistency and ability to close out tournaments. This record amplified the unexpected nature of Yang's victory, as overcoming such a formidable opponent, especially one with such a strong track record of holding leads, was an extraordinary feat.
Yang's Own Perception of the Upset

Yang himself acknowledged the extraordinary nature of his win, noting that if he had defeated a player of similar standing, it would not have garnered such significant attention. He specifically highlighted the disparity of "a player with 70 wins versus a player with one win." Furthermore, Yang admitted that he had not initially realized he had a genuine chance to win a major championship, which made the eventual realization of this dream even more remarkable and underscored the magnitude of the upset.

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Why was YE Yang’s 2009 PGA Championship win over Tiger Woods such a historic upset?

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