| FINAL SHOT
YE Yang As part of Ballantine’s campaign about the importance of character in golf, we interviewed some of the biggest names in the game about the moments when true character has been revealed on the golf course. This month, Korean YE Yang, who memorably held off Tiger Woods at the 2008 US PGA Championship to become the first Asian winner of a major. “When I watch majors, I think about a lot of things. Sport is like a drama without a script. When good players with strong characters play tournaments, they give good messages to people.”
Yang showed something of his true character after holding off Tiger Woods to win the 2009 US PGA Championship at Hazeltine Rory McIlroy has now won two majors and is the World No 1. What are your thoughts on the character he showed to bounce back from last year’s Masters collapse? Rory suffered a major setback at the US Masters. He had been leading, and everybody – including the other players and people watching on TV – thought he was going to win. But on the very last day, he didn’t play well and lost. The fact that he lost so badly then won in the next major shows he has character and a strong will. That’s the reason why he didn’t fail again at the US Open. In some respects, I guess that because of his character he could reflect on his failure at the Masters in order to produce a good result at the US Open.
AFP
You were in the same group as McIlroy in the final round at the US Open. What did you learn from the way he handled himself? Mostly, it made me wonder if could I do that if I was in his situation. I always train and practise hard for tournaments, but is it possible to achieve that character by practice? Or does it just come during the tournament itself? In order to turn failures into victories, to escape from the slump and end 66
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with a good result, you need to try hard. Of course, you need to practise hard, but I think the important thing is your character. When I watch majors, I think about a lot of things. Sport is like a drama without a script. When good players with strong characters play tournaments, they give good messages to people. It depends on the individuals, but in general good examples give good lessons to people. In my case, it would help me to have the confidence that I can achieve a good result even after such a bad situation. Tom Watson also suffered a painful loss, at the 2009 Open Championship when he was 59. What do you think of the character he showed to deal with this in such a composed manner? On the last hole [at Turnberry] he made a bogey after a mistake, which meant he had to go into a play-off which he lost [to Stewart Cink]. But it’s really hard for a senior player to be one of the top finishers in a huge tournament like the Open. I remember he was 59, which is 60 in Korean age. He did really well and the fact that he decided to participate in that tournament is itself worthy of respect. Would I be able to play in Majors when I’m 60? I don’t think it would be easy to play in those tournaments. Also, would I have the courage to compete with young players? Tom Watson played CONTINUED ON PAGE 64 HKGOLFER.COM
“Jiménez likes cigars and he loves golf. When you meet him you can definitely feel that ... It looks nice that he is very relaxed while playing.”
Courtesy of the Ballantine's Championship
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After seeing Tom Watson almost win the Open Championship in 2009, Yang believes that nothing is impossible if you try hard 64
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on the PGA Tour for a long time and won many tournaments so I guess he had confidence from the past. It seems to me everything is up to your attitude. Even if you’re older, character can bring good results. Also, he seems to love golf so much. At that time, I thought to myself that if I look after my health and work out, I can play in big tournaments such as the Open in my old age, just like him. In the past, I was wondering how many years I’d be able to play. I thought I wouldn’t have much future playing by the time I’m in my 50s. But when I saw Tom Watson playing really well at his age, I realised that nothing is impossible if you try hard. He seems to have a good character and he’s a good role model. His was a very good performance and it even made me think that it was the right decision [by me] to play golf in the first place.
Watson was obviously disappointed by the loss, but he was able to joke about it later on. Looking at him, what do you think his reaction revealed about his character? He has plenty of experience. He has won a lot of tournaments in his career and he’s lost a few, sometimes after a play-off. I guess because of his rich experience he could even admit to his mistakes when he lost. Tom Watson might have thought that he did well considering his age and the difficulty of the game. Of course, he would be upset about his loss, but his lifelong experience made him able to accept his failure and to even make a joke about it. Miguel Ángel Jiménez, last year’s Ballantine’s Championship runner-up and a two-time winner of the Hong Kong Open, is famous for his flamboyant personality. What do you admire about him? Jiménez likes cigars and he loves golf. People can see that when they watch him playing on TV. When you meet him you can definitely feel that. He’s a golfer who really loves golf. I would like to enjoy golf as much as he does. It looks nice that he is very relaxed while playing. HKGOLFER.COM