How did Y.E. Yang beat Tiger Woods head to head this past weekend at the PGA Championship? I have my reason. I have heard many reasons so far and I believe there is some truth to them all.
I believe I’ll focus on the one key thing I saw on Sunday. I saw it a few years back by another player who ousted Tiger in a different fashion. Both Y.E. Yang and Angel Cabrera have accomplished this feat in the last 3 years. I must say I was much more impressed with Y.E Yang’s performance than Cabrera’s at the US Open two years ago. Cabrera was not paired with Tiger and was leading and not trying to catch the greatest player in the history of golf.
Yang faced off head to head while trailing but he pulled it off. How? I think because he played to win- instead of playing not to lose. Is that just a play on words? Absolutely not. Anyone who has competed in sports knows exactly what I mean. Let me give you some examples.
Your softball team is up 5 runs in the bottom of the 7th inning with 2 outs. A couple hits. The pitcher gets a little tight. The fielders stop trying to make a great play but focus on keeping the ball in front of them. Don’t give up the big hit. The nerves tighten and the hits keep coming. Runners keep crossing the plate. You look up after an error or two and a walked batter- now the game winning runner is on 2nd base. Another base hit and you’re shaking hands going how did it happen. We lost a 5 run lead with 2 outs in the last inning.
You’re watching a Sunday football game and your team is up by 2 touchdowns with 3 minutes to play. This one is all too easy to call. Your team puts on the prevent defense. When they do get the ball they run it up the gut 3 times and settle for a punt. Well 3 minutes later your team just gave up a touchdown, a second touchdown, and an onside kick. This leads to game winning 45 yard field goal.
Need another example. What about when you played that golf tournament? You were ready to post a killer score and all you had to do was steer it in on those last 3 holes. Two hands on the wheel and all your thoughts turned to your score instead of your next shot. Here we go again, 3 holes later and you’re walking off after a bogey, bogey, double bogey finish. What happened?
We’ve all been there and we’ve all watched it happen so many times. Y.E. Yang made a decision to go for it. He played to win. He hit shot after shot that if he didn’t pull off would have left the analysts saying what is he doing. The shot he hit on 18 summed it all up. What was the play there? You have the world #1 on the ropes. He needs a birdie just to tie and even if you bogey and he pars your in a playoff. That’s something to say. I was in a playoff with Tiger Woods at the PGA championship. Y.E. Yang could have hit it short right and safe. He could have played away from the tree instead of over it. He could have hit a bailout right avoiding the short side left. In case you missed it- he didn’t. He stuck it. Because you don’t beat Tiger playing not to lose, you beat Tiger by playing to win.
This is such a hard lesson. Athletes are so worried about what the announcers will say, what the critics will write and how the Monday morning quarterbacks will recall the event. Then someone comes along who’s out there having fun, not caring so much and playing to win. Refreshing.
Do you think Tiger will ever get back his original form?
Good question. Probably one for the ages. I have this feeling that he may but I also have this feeling that part of his ability to focus on the course may have had some correlation to his level of chaos off the course.
I’m not as concerned about his golf game as I am his character. I’m hopeful he gets back to a better form personally. Golf is just a game. One that I happen to love.