Yang holds on to win Honda Classic

2009-03-10

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PALM BEACH GARDENS, Florida (Ticker) - Y.E. Yang held on to win the Honda Classic on Sunday.

Yang needed a long two-putt for par at the par-5 18th and he got it to post a one-shot victory over John Rollins.

Yang entered the final round with a one-stroke lead and finished with the same margin after a 2-under-par 68. The South Korean saw a comfortable lead evaporate with bogeys at Nos. 15 and 17 before steadying himself for a closing par and a winning total of 9-under 271.

Rollins finished at 8-under 272 after a 67.

Ranked 460th in the world, Yang clinched his first PGA Tour title with a two-putt from 50 feet at the 18th. He left himself less than three feet for his par put and calmly made that for the win.

The 37-year-old Yang, joins K.J. Choi as the only South Koreans to win a PGA Tour event.

“I feel very relieved. All of the pressure is off my shoulders,” Yang said. “What I did when I clapped all of the fans after I won, I did that out of pure emotion.”

The win also gives Yang a berth in next week’s WGC event at Doral and gave him a spot in The Masters in April.

Yang earned his tour card at Q-School and his previous claim to fame was taking out Tiger Woods at the 2006 HSBC Champions in Shanghai.

“This win is the biggest of my career,” Yang said.