| EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn. -- Brett Favre is coming back for more.
The 39-year-old quarterback turned his back on retirement for the second time in as many years, agreeing Tuesday to play for the Minnesota Vikings.
"I felt I did everything I possibly could do to get where I need to be," Favre said Tuesday. "You're 39, your arm may not feel like it did at 21. But the pieces are in place that you don't have to do that much and I agree with that.
"If they were willing to take that chance, I was, too."
Favre finally decided that he didn't want to live with regrets.
"I don't know how I'll feel a year from now, five years from now, but I didn't want to say what if," he said.
The Vikings will pay Favre $12 million this year and $13 million next season, sources told ESPN senior NFL analyst Chris Mortensen and ESPN NFL Insider Adam Schefter. The contract does not contain performance bonuses.
Because Favre is a vested veteran, the $12 million is guaranteed for this season if he is on the opening day roster. This also applies to the $13 million 2010 deal. This year, $6 million is guaranteed for skill and injury, meaning that if he is bad during the next few weeks, the Vikings can't get out for less than $6 million.
The 2009 salary payments are deferred: $4 million over the season, $4 million in March and $4 million in 2011.
The Vikings made it official with a news release early Tuesday afternoon.
The first inkling that something was afoot came early Tuesday, when two television stations in Hattiesburg, Miss., and Minneapolis reported that the Vikings had sent a private plane to Hattiesburg to pick up Favre.
Favre and his wife, Deanna, arrived to cheering fans outside the team's practice facility and the quarterback was in a helmet and pads less than 90 minutes later. His red practice jersey was the familiar No. 4, the same number he wore for years with his now-rival Green Bay Packers.
Coach Brad Childress, who greeted the Favres at the airport, had confirmed the planned meeting in an early Tuesday e-mail to The Associated Press. Asked if the plan was to sign Favre, Childress replied: "In a perfect world."
Childress' wish came true shortly afterward, when the Vikings announced the signing.
"This is the weekend Brett decided he wanted to come back. And I'm not sure either side ever closed the door," Favre's agent, Bus Cook, told ESPN's Mortensen.
The day's developments and Favre's arrival were a surreal tableau, with a throng of fans who somehow learned early on of Favre's deal with the Vikings and ran alongside the SUV as it arrived at the Vikings' practice site from the airport, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune, with a lone police officer trying to maintain order.
ESPN analyst Cris Carter reported that Childress already has told the Vikings that Favre would be starting in Friday night's preseason game against the Kansas City Chiefs.
"I have mixed emotions, but I have always loved to watch him play," Favre's mother, Bonita, told the Sun Herald of Biloxi. "This time, however, I thought he would stay retired and stay home. I guess he could not do it.
"They [Minnesota] seem to have a good team in place, and he liked that. I guess I need to get a Vikings jersey now."
John David Booty, who had been wearing No. 4, was assigned No. 9.
Favre, a longtime star in Green Bay, came out of retirement last season to play for the New York Jets. He retired again, only to then entertain the idea of joining the Vikings. Three weeks ago, Childress said the quarterback would stay retired.
The pronouncement turned out to be premature.
Two television stations were the first to report that Favre was seen boarding a plane Tuesday morning that was headed to Minneapolis.
Sources told Hattiesburg television station WDAM, which initially broke the story, that Favre had said: "We may know something by dinner."
A high-level source first told Minneapolis TV station WCCO that Favre was expected to sign a deal with the Vikings on Tuesday.
Favre said that the injury that required surgery on his biceps tendon and then finding out that he had a tear in his rotator cuff led him to think he shouldn't play anymore.
"I just kept thinking I didn't want to go through what I did last year," he said.
"Between three weeks ago and the phone conversation yesterday [with Childress], I talked to Dr. [James] Andrews and he assured me it wouldn't be an issue. I felt if everyone was going to take that chance, I was to."
Dr. Andrews detected a slight tear in his right rotator cuff in May while performing arthroscopic surgery on the quarterback's passing shoulder.
During practice sessions in Mississippi, Favre said that "the arm has felt, not 100 percent, but pretty good, good enough to make the throws I need to make."
That led him to decide to go for it.
"As friends and family has told me, you never know until you take the chance," he said.
Favre, who holds almost all of the NFL's career passing records, has never been much of a fan of offseason practices, though. Last summer, he ended his retirement with the Packers and forced a trade to the Jets, where he faded down the stretch amid problems with his throwing arm.
But Favre remained in regular communication with the Vikings' coaching staff the past three weeks, and a source told ESPN's Ed Werder that owner Zygi Wilf had to do very little convincing when the two met this week near Favre's home in Hattiesburg.
"He had a lot of aches and pains and they basically needed a commitment from him before he felt he was ready to play,'' a source told Werder. "He wants to be able to do the best he can do and doesn't want to disappoint them.''
Favre has been working out regularly with Oak Grove High School players in Hattiesburg, according to WDAM-TV, and has not missed a practice even after telling the Vikings he would remain retired.
The Vikings finished training camp last week and beat Indianapolis 13-3 in their preseason opener Friday. They got a strong performance from quarterback Sage Rosenfels, who has been competing with Tarvaris Jackson for the starting job since Favre jilted the team July 28.
The fact that the Vikings have a chance to make a deep run in the playoffs factored heavily in Favre's decision.
"I felt from my standpoint that I could offer some experience and leadership, and I have to admit through this whole process after I said no three weeks ago,sometimes I was OK with it, and other times I said. I can really help this team."
The Vikings are expected to challenge for the NFC North title this season, with whoever is behind center.
Rosenfels and Jackson have had some rough moments during practice. Jackson hurt his knee, missed a few workouts and then returned, but he was out of sync last week against the Colts.
Rosenfels did well, but preseason games are tough to evaluate and Indianapolis held out all four starting defensive backs.
On Monday, Jackson, responding to the day's scuttlebutt that Favre was predicted to play in Minnesota this season, said he was not paying attention to any of the talk.
"I pretty much have said [Favre] probably will follow me even when I retire. I'll probably have to hear about it. I'm just trying to take care of my business, and I can't worry about that stuff," Jackson said, according to the Minneapolis Star Tribune. "If I let that stuff get to me, ain't no telling where I'd be right now. I just let it roll off my shoulder and just keep going. Just keep trying to get better."
Packers coach Mike McCarthy said after practice Tuesday he was not surprised by Favre's return.
"I don't think anybody should be surprised by it," McCarthy said.
Green Bay visits Minnesota on Oct. 5, and the Packers host the Vikings on Nov. 1.
"The bottom line is it's football," Favre said. "Once you step into the huddle, I don't look at the helmets. I look at the faces and the guys will know I'm in it for the right reasons because I still love to play."
Aaron Rodgers, who inherited the starting quarterback position after Favre retired -- then unretired -- said, "I don't have a reaction. It doesn't pertain to me. It has absolutely nothing to do with me. It doesn't change anything. It has nothing to do with the Green Bay Packers."
Packers general manager Ted Thompson also didn't want any part of the Favre situation, which caused a major distraction during the Packers' training camp a year ago and lingered on well after Favre was traded to the Jets.
After dodging a few questions about Favre on Tuesday, Thompson refused to bite on a question about whether it's wise for a team to tie its fortunes to a player with commitment issues so late in training camp.
"You guys just try to get me in trouble," Thompson said, smiling.
Packers linebacker Nick Barnett told the newspaper: "Ater all those years of not being able to hit him, do I want to hit him? Of course I want to hit him. He's an awesome guy. I wish him the best."
|
Reports That Raiders Head Coach Punches Assistant
ESPN.com news services
NAPA, Calif. -- Oakland Raiders head coach Tom Cable declined to comment Monday about reports he punched defensive assistant Randy Hanson in the jaw and caused injuries that required treatment at a hospital earlier this month.
According to AOL Fanhouse, Cable hit Hanson on Aug. 5 for unknown reasons. A report filed with the Napa Police Department describes an unnamed 41-year-old assistant coach being treated at the Queen of the Valley Hospital for a jaw injury, which the victim alleges was caused by an unidentified member of the Raiders coaching staff.
The National Football Post first reported the incident.
Cable, who replaced Lane Kiffin as Oakland's head coach four games into the 2008 season, repeatedly sidestepped questions Monday about the incident and declined to discuss his involvement.
"It's an internal issue that we are dealing with, and that's all I'm going to say," said Cable, who repeated the phrase when questioned if he was involved. "I'm not going to comment on that."
Cable spoke for less than 60 seconds regarding the incident. He answered four questions before reporters were cut off by a member of the Raiders' public relations department.
Hanson reportedly did not want to pursue the matter, but staff at the hospital alerted authorities, according to Fanhouse.com.
"The victim didn't even want any police action taken," Napa Police Lt. Brian McGovern told the Web site, "but we were following hospital policy that authorities be contacted in cases where there may have been an assault."
Hanson suffered a fractured jaw. McGovern said, according to the Web site, that the Napa Police consider the matter closed "unless we are re-contacted by the victim, and the victim changes their mind that they want us to follow through and pursue an investigation. At this point we're not doing anything else with it."
McGovern said the police report has not been made public over privacy concerns.
When contacted by ESPN.com, an NFL spokesman said the league would not comment on the matter.
Many players said they were unaware of any altercation, but at the beginning of Monday's practice when they were stretching, several broke out into a chant of "Cable, bumaye, Cable, bumaye" in reference to the crowd chants heard by former heavyweight boxing champion Muhammad Ali during his 1974 fight against George Foreman.
"I don't even know what they were saying," cornerback Nnamdi Asomugha joked. "I think there's still some guys who don't even know. I found out as I was coming out on the field. Guys were finding out here and there. It wasn't like a big announcement, so the reaction wasn't like a collective reaction. People were like, 'What's going on?' trying to find out, but no one really knew."
If true, this would be the second incident in less than 13 months involving Hanson and a Raiders head coach. In 2008, Hanson was suspended by Kiffin after Hanson was critical of the team's effort in a season-opening loss to Denver.
Raiders owner Al Davis intervened on Hanson's behalf and later fired Kiffin.
Hanson was working with the defensive backs, but hasn't been seen at the team's training camp facilities since shortly after the fight supposedly took place.
"I know he's been around here but we really haven't seen him that much," safety Hiram Eugene said. "They keep him in the offices."
Asked if Hanson was still employed by the team, Cable again declined comment.
In 2003, Raiders linebacker Bill Romanowski punched teammate Marcus Williams during practice, shattering Williams' jaw. Williams later filed a civil lawsuit and was awarded $340,000 in damages.
Last August, Carolina wide receiver Steve Smith was suspended for two games after a training camp fight with teammate Ken Lucas. |
Former Duke PG Paulus Named Orange's Starting QB
By Brian Bennett ESPN.com
Syracuse, NY. -- Syracuse is going all in on the Greg Paulus experiment.
Orange head coach Doug Marrone officially named the former Duke basketball player as his starting quarterback on Monday night, even though Paulus has not played football in four years and has never played a collegiate snap.
Paulus, a high school football star who played point guard for the Blue Devils for four years, transferred to Syracuse as a graduate student this spring. Despite having just a week of official practice under his belt, Paulus beat out sophomore Ryan Nassib -- who was named the No. 1 quarterback in the spring -- and senior Cam Dantley, who was last year's starter. His first college football game will be Sept. 5 against Minnesota in the Carrier Dome.
The news that Paulus had won the job was sent out in an official news release late Monday night. Earlier this month, Marrone talked glowingly about how Paulus could handle such an unprecedented transition.
"He has instincts that are hard to teach," Marrone said. "He knows how to look people off, how to take control of the game and how to change plays.
"If you had ever met Greg Paulus, you'd understand and I wouldn't get a lot of the questions that I get," Marrone said. "If something can be accomplished, he can do it." |
Bolt Lowers 100-Meter Mark To 9.58
BERLIN -- Usain Bolt crossed the finish line, saw his record-setting time on the clock and spread his arms as if he were soaring like a bird.
About all this guy can't do is fly. And by saving his celebration until after the finish line this time, he showed how fast a man really can go on two feet.
The Jamaican shattered the world record again Sunday, running 100 meters in 9.58 seconds at the world championships to turn his much-anticipated race against Tyson Gay into a one-man show.
That was 0.11 seconds faster than the mark he set last year at the Beijing Olympics -- the biggest improvement in the 100-meter record since electronic timing began in 1968.
Gay, his closest rival, broke the American mark with his 9.71 performance and still looked like he was jogging -- finishing a few big strides behind Bolt in second place.
Bolt's only competition these days is the clock.
And when he's really trying, not hot-dogging it over the line the way he did in China, even time itself doesn't stand a chance.
"I don't run for world records," said Bolt, who crossed the line with a slight breeze at his back.
Yet those records always seem to find him.
He thinks he can go even lower.
"I know I said 9.4," Bolt said, grinning. "You never know. I'll just keep on working."
Last summer at Beijing, Bolt shut his race down early, waving his arms and celebrating about 10 meters before he got to the line. Some, like Jacques Rogge of the International Olympic Committee, viewed it as a sign of bad sportsmanship. Most saw it as a welcome sigh of relief for a sport that needed some good news after years of doping and scandal.
Even this week, the Jamaican track team was making headlines for the wrong reasons -- a complicated doping case. Then a group of athletes who were uninvited to the worlds by the country's track officials because they didn't participate in team training camp got reinvited at the request of international officials.
Bolt made everyone forget about that and showed, once again, what a great sport track can be when the focus is on the track, not doping control and the meeting rooms.
Bolt ran his latest unforgettable race at Olympic Stadium in Berlin, the history-filled home of the 1936 Olympics where Jesse Owens became the world's biggest track star. Bolt lives in Owens' stratosphere now, having set the 100 world record three times and also owning the 200-meter record thanks to the 19.30 he ran in Beijing to break Michael Johnson's 12-year-old mark.
Now he has added the world championship, last won by Gay in 2007, to his Olympic title.
A Stanford professor estimated he could've gone 9.55 if he'd run full out through the line in Beijing. Bolt almost made that guy look like a genius.
"He's like a created game person," American Darvis Patton said. "I can't imagine going 9.71 and not winning. That will win every race in history except for today [and at the Olympics]."
It's easy to see why Bolt is such a crowd favorite. He's a colorful character who loves to entertain. The track is his stage and he didn't disappoint Sunday.
Before climbing into the blocks, Bolt gave spectators a quick wave and did his trademark bow-and-arrow pose.
That drew big applause.
Then the real show started.
Unlike the Olympics, when he skidded from the blocks, Bolt burst out this time in his yam-colored Pumas, opening a sizable lead on the field after 20 meters.
From there, it could have been a stroll in the park. But there was no letting up this time. Before crossing the line, he glanced to his right to check on Gay once -- not in the picture -- and then back at the clock. His face lit up as he spotted the digits "9.58" appear on the screen next to the track.
The party was on. He grabbed a flag and did a victory lap with countryman Asafa Powell, who finished with the bronze (9.84).
They even stopped midway down the track and did a little dance number. Too bad the song wasn't from rapper Akon, who wrote about the sprinter in a song, the lyric going, "Quicker than Usain Bolt, the fastest thing runnin'."
Next came pictures -- lots of flashes popping -- and hugs as Bolt greeted everyone who called his name -- and they were numerous. The entire victory lap took about 20 minutes.
Or about 19:50.42 longer than it took to run his 100.
Standing back at the finish line, waiting for him to finish up, was Gay. He paced around, clearly agitated.
Not in anger at losing, though.
No, he wanted off the track, but wasn't allowed by an official. Gay was quite complimentary of his rival in a race that lived up to the hype.
"I've been telling you someone could run 9.5," Gay said. "I'm happy he did it, it showed a human can take it to another level. Unfortunately, I wasn't the one to do it, but I still have confidence I can do it one day."
Gay didn't have much of a chance. Not against Bolt. And certainly not with a groin injury that he admitted to Saturday. He said it was worse than he let on, but refused to use it as a convenient excuse.
"I showed a lot of heart," Gay said. "I put it together the best I could."
Powell was right beside Bolt his entire journey around the track, then through the mixed zone.
For Powell, Bolt is a blessing. It takes all the pressure off his shoulders. He doesn't have to carry the weight of a country by himself.
"He really knows how to perform under pressure," Powell said. "I need to take a page out of his book."
That might not be a bad idea for all the sprinters. British sprinter Dwain Chambers, who tested positive for the steroid THG in 2003 and served a two-year suspension, got to see Bolt's spectacle from the back of the field.
It was rather enjoyable.
"As you get older, you start to realize when you're put into these situations that you can't be upset," said Chambers, who wound up sixth. "You can't put that into words. Many guys said to me that it's demoralizing to be apart of a world-record race. For me, it was exciting." |
Gay Pulls Out Of 200 Meter Due To Injury
BERLIN -- Tyson Gay is pulling out of the 200-meter competition at the world championships because of a groin injury, preventing a rematch with Usain Bolt.
The decision was announced Monday by U.S. track and field officials.
Gay finished second to Bolt in the 100 after the Jamaican won in a world-record 9.58 seconds Sunday. Gay set an American mark at 9.71 but was still a few strides behind Bolt.
Gay has been plagued by the groin injury in recent weeks. He's still leaving open the option of running in the 400-meter relay. |
Nationals, Strasberg Agree On 15.1 Deal
NEW YORK -- Stephen Strasburg and the Washington Nationals agreed to a record contract just before Monday's midnight deadline, a four-year deal that will pay the hard-throwing right-hander slightly more than $15.1 million.
The San Diego State pitcher was selected first by the last-place Nationals in June and set the mark for the most money guaranteed to a drafted player. That's been held since 2001 by pitcher Mark Prior, who received a $10.5 million, five-year contract after he was selected with the second pick, behind Joe Mauer.
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AP Photo/Lenny Ignelzi
Stephen Strasburg beat the deadline and agreed to terms with the Washington Nationals.
"It feels awesome. I got a little nervous there for a while that it might not happen, but I feel very blessed," Strasburg told ESPN's Pedro Gomez. "I'm not sure of the plan right now. They said they'd bring me up for the media. They said to take my time to get ready. It's an amazing feeling. I really wasn't sure if it was going to happen, but I'm glad it did."
Strasburg was among 16 of 32 first-round picks without announced agreements heading into the final day. Only three first-round picks apparently failed to sign, and the deadline didn't apply to one of them.
Scott Boras represented six of the unsigned first-round picks, including Strasburg and the second, third, ninth, 13th and 30th selections.
In addition to Strasburg, he negotiated a $9.5 million five-year contract for Dustin Ackley, a North Carolina center fielder taken by No. 2 Seattle; a $3.25 million signing bonus for Donavan Tate, a center fielder from Cartersville High School in Georgia selected No. 3 by San Diego; a $5.5 million, six-year contract for Jacob Turner, a right-hander from Westminster Christian Academy in Missouri taken by No. 9 Detroit; and a $2.75 million signing bonus for Grant Green, a Southern Cal shortstop drafted No. 13 by Oakland.
Tate had planned to play football and baseball at North Carolina.
A source told ESPN's Steve Phillips that Strasburg will receive a $7.5 million signing bonus with $2.5 million paid 15 days after approval of the contract, $2.5 million paid in January 2010 and another $2.5 million paid in January 2011.
He is scheduled to receive a $400,000 salary in 2009, but that is prorated to approximately $100,000. He then will get a $2 million salary in 2010, $2.5 million in 2011 and $3 million in 2012.
"He's chomping at the bit to get out on the mound. He's ultra-, ultra-competitive," acting Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo said, "and I think he was getting a little tired of sitting around the house."
The last-place team and the hard-throwing right-hander faced a deadline of midnight on Monday night to come to an agreement. And, according to Nationals president Stan Kasten, they resolved everything without much time to spare -- "11:58 and 43 seconds," he said.
"People thought it would take to the last minute," Kasten said, smiling. "We didn't even need that last minute."
Law: Nats, Strasburg Make Deal
The Stephen Strasburg signing was inevitable -- both sides had far too much to lose -- and it's a clear win for both sides. Neither the Nationals nor Strasburg had an appealing alternative to a negotiated agreement, writes Keith Law. Blog
At 6-foot-4, 220 pounds, and with a fastball that can reach 100 mph, Strasburg is projected to be precisely the sort of ace the Nationals have lacked since moving from Montreal to the nation's capital before the 2005 season.
He went 13-1 last season, leading Division I pitchers in ERA (1.35) and strikeouts (195 in 109 innings), and won the Golden Spikes award for the top U.S. amateur baseball player.
In part because of a lackluster starting rotation, Washington is on pace for a second consecutive 100-loss season.
The expectation is that Strasburg will join third baseman Ryan Zimmerman as one of the primary faces of a franchise that is heading to its fourth last-place NL East finish in five seasons.
In many ways, the Nationals needed to sign Strasburg -- and not just because of what he offers as a pitcher. That is certainly important, of course, particularly when you consider that the five pitchers currently holding spots in Washington's starting rotation are a combined 16-23 with a 4.52 ERA this season.
The Nationals also hope Strasburg can help boost interest in the team. Since opening their $600 million-plus stadium for the 2008 season, the Nationals have struggled to attract fans: They are averaging about 23,100 spectators this season, worse than all but two NL clubs.
Whatever the PR benefit to the signing, the Nationals are most excited about his pitching talent.
"He's got the skill set that all front-of-the-rotation starting pitchers have. He's a big, physical guy. He throws extremely hard. He's got a solid repertoire of pitches and he throws them all for strikes," Rizzo said.
"Barring injury," the acting GM added, "this kid should have a long, illustrious career."
Tampa Bay failed to agree with another Boras client, LeVon Washington, a second baseman from Buchholz High School in Florida taken by Tampa Bay with the 30th pick.
"We are disappointed that LeVon has chosen not to sign with the Rays. We offered him a bonus consistent with late first-round picks," Rays executive vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman said. "Immediately following the draft, he seemed eager to sign but it has not materialized. We wish LeVon great success with his baseball career."
Among other picks, Zack Wheeler, a right-hander from East Paulding High in Georgia selected sixth by San Francisco, agreed at $3.3 million. Cincinnati and Arizona State right-hander Mike Leake, the No. 8 pick, agreed at $2.27 million and Colorado gave $3.9 million to the No. 11 pick, Tyler Matzek, a left-hander from Capistrano Valley High School in Mission Viejo, Calif.
Cleveland agreed at $2.25 million with the 15th pick, North Carolina right-hander Alex White, and Florida settled at $1.7 million with Chad James, a left-hander from Yukon High School in Oklahoma selected with the 18th pick.
St. Louis agreed at $2,875,000 with Shelby Miller, a right-hander from Brownwood High School in Texas taken with the 19th pick. Minnesota agreed with the 22nd pick, Missouri right-hander Kyle Gibson, at $1.85 million. And the Yankees gave a $2.2 million deal to the 29th pick, Slade Heathcott, a center fielder from Texas High School in Texarkana.
Texas failed to sign Matt Purke, a left-hander from Klein High School in Texas. Purke was the 14th overall pick in June.
Right-hander Aaron Crow, selected 12th by Kansas City, was not subject to the deadline because he exhausted his college eligibility. He was among just two first-round picks who failed to sign last year, when he was drafted ninth by the Nationals. Right-hander Gerrit Cole, taken by the Yankees with the 28th pick in 2008, decided to attend UCLA. |
CHASKA, Minn. -- Y.E. Yang shook his fists and shouted with joy over a victory felt around the world. Equally stunning was the sight of Tiger Woods, standing over the final putt of the PGA Championship with nothing at stake.
The final major of the year delivered a pair of shocking developments Sunday.
Yang, a 37-year-old from South Korea who was in PGA Tour qualifying school nine months ago, became the first Asian-born player to capture a major title with a series of spectacular shots on the back nine of Hazeltine.
Even more memorable was the guy he beat.
Woods was 14-0 when he was atop the leaderboard going into the final round of a major. He had never lost any tournament on American soil when leading by more than one shot.
Yang showed everyone how to beat him, from the stars who had failed so many times over the last dozen years, and perhaps to an emerging generation of golfers in Asia, the fastest-growing golf market in the world.
"It's not like you're in an octagon where you're fighting against Tiger and he's going to bite you, or swing at you with his 9-iron," Yang said through an interpreter. "The worst that I could do was just lose to Tiger. So I really had nothing much at stake."
When he saw Woods in birdie range at the 14th, Yang chipped in from 60 feet for eagle to take the lead. Clinging to a one-shot lead, a tree slightly blocking his view of the flag on the 18th hole and Woods in the fairway, Yang hit the shot of his life. His 3-iron hybrid cleared a bunker and settled 12 feet away.
And with that, Yang slew golf's giant.
Yang made the final birdie to close with a 2-under 70, giving him a three-shot victory when Woods missed yet another short par putt and had a 75, his worst score ever in the final round of the major when he was in the last group.
"All the other 14 major championships I've won, I've putted well for the entire week," Woods said. "And today, that didn't happen."
Instead, it was Yang posing with the trophy and giving the longest press conference of his life. When he finally left Hazeltine, another celebration awaited. He has been eating every night at the Hoban Korean Restaurant, and the owners kept the doors open.
"They were supposed to be closed," said Michael Yim, an IMG agent who works with Yang. "All the staff and the owner's family were outside the store, giving us a standing ovation. They said, 'If you can come at 3 in the morning, we would have kept it open.' Their eyes were teary. What just happened is huge."
For Woods, it was the second time he has finished runner-up in the PGA Championship at Hazeltine, both times to a surprise winner. Seven years ago, he birdied the last four holes and came up one short of Rich Beem.
This time, Woods made one mistake after another over the last four holes, mostly with his putter.
"I did everything I needed to do, except for getting the ball in the hole," Woods said. "Just didn't make the putts when I needed to make them."
Yang's victory is massive for Asia. Perhaps even more significant is the way he stood up to Woods, the world's No. 1 player whose heritage is half-Asian through his Thai-born mother.
Yang and K.J. Choi are the only PGA Tour players who learned golf in South Korea before coming to America. South Koreans have had far more success on the LPGA Tour, with seven players combining to win 11 majors.
"Golf in Asia has been growing steadily, so to have the guy who finally found a way to beat Tiger on Sunday is so big for the region," Geoff Ogilvy said. "It's hard for us here in the U.S. to imagine the impact this will have."
His victory came four days after golf was recommended to become part of the Olympics in 2016.
Yang was No. 110 in the world, his only victory on the PGA Tour coming in March at the Honda Classic, on a course across the street from headquarters of the PGA of America. He was best known for holding off Woods at the HSBC Champions in China three years ago.
This stage was far bigger and Yang was even better.
He trailed by two shots going into the final round, caught Woods at the turn, and was tied with five holes to play when Yang chipped in for eagle on the 14th. When it looked as though nerves were getting the best of him on a three-putt bogey at the 17th, he delivered his two most important shots that brought him an unlikely victory.
"This might be my last win as a golfer," Yang said. "But it sure is a great day."
Yang still had enough strength left to hoist his golf bag over his head, and later the 44-pound Wanamaker Trophy. After a long and tearful embrace with his wife, Young Ju Park, he walked across a bridge saluting thousands of fans who couldn't believe what they saw.
In a year of spoilers at the majors, this might have been the biggest: Yang topped the mighty Tiger Woods.
Kenny Perry was poised to become the oldest Masters champion at 48 until Angel Cabrera beat him in a playoff. Phil Mickelson, reeling from news that his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer, was on the verge of finally winning the U.S. Open until Lucas Glover outplayed him over the final few holes. And just last month, 59-year-old Tom Watson was an 8-foot par putt away from winning the British Open, then lost in a playoff to Stewart Cink.
Woods losing a two-shot lead in the final round of a major? That was unthinkable -- until a breezy afternoon at Hazeltine.
Yang finished at 8-under 280 and won $1.35 million, along with a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour and the majors. He became the first player since John Daly in 1991 to win the PGA Championship after going to Q-school the previous year.
One more bonus: His victory put him on the International team for the Presidents Cup in October in San Francisco.
Asian-born players had come close in the majors -- Liang-Huan Lu of Taiwan finishing one shot behind Lee Trevino at the 1971 British Open, and T.C. Chen's famous two-chip gaffe that cost him a chance at the 1985 U.S. Open, where he was runner-up to Andy North.
This could be a big breakthrough for Asian players, especially with a World Golf Championship starting this year in China.
Even South Korea's president, Lee Myung-bak, got up before sunrise to watch the tournament live. He later phoned Yang to offer his congratulations.
"I woke up at dawn today to watch the broadcast, and you played in a calm manner," Lee told Yang, according to Lee's office. "First of all, you enhanced our people's morale by winning the major title for the first time as an Asian."
As for the PGA Championship, what remains is whether it will be remembered more for Yang's victory for Woods losing a 54-hole lead for the first time in a major.
"He went out there and executed his game plan," Woods said. "He was doing exactly what you have to do, especially in these conditions. I think he played beautifully."
This was a two-man race throughout the back nine, especially after defending champion Padraig Harrington imploded in the group ahead of them on the par-3 eighth. Harrington was one shot behind when he hit two shots in the water -- including a chip from behind the green, just as he did last week at Firestone -- and took a quintuple-bogey 8. He shot a 78.
Woods three-putted for bogey at No. 4 for the second straight day and made bogey from the bunker at No. 8, sending the final pairing to the back nine in a tie for the lead.
Woods regained the lead with a 3-wood on the 606-yard 11th hole onto the green, only to give it back with a bogey on the 12th after he hit a wild hook into the trees. He twice missed birdie putts inside 10 feet -- at No. 10 and No. 13 -- and then momentum shifted to Yang.
With the tees again moved forward to 301 yards, Yang came up just short. He watched Woods play a good bunker shot to 8 feet, then knocked in his chip.
"That's when I thought, 'I do have a chance,'" Yang said.
He was steady. Woods was sloppy.
Woods chunked a 3-wood trying to for the green in two at the 15th, then missed another 10-foot birdie putt to tie. Both bogeyed the 17th hole, Woods with a shot he thought was pure until it landed into thick rough over the green.
"Tiger's good, but he could always have a bad day," Yang said. "Guess this is one of those days." |
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