Hazeltine National Golf Club hosts the KPMG Women's PGA Championship this week in Chaska, Minnesota, for the second time.
In 2019, the storied club provided the backdrop for Australian Hannah Green's major championship breakthrough at the tender age of 22, a one-shot victory over Sung Hyun-Park.
Ten years earlier, South Korean Y.E. Yang came out of seemingly nowhere to eclipse Tiger Woods and overtake the world No. 1's 54-hole lead, the first time an opponent had done that to Woods in a major championship.
A LOOK BACK: See the final leaderboard from the 2009 PGA Championship
Woods held a two-shot lead over Yang to start the day, and the underdog brought his best on that Sunday.
The epic chip-in on the short par-4 14th helped Yang break a tie with Woods at 6 under, and in Yang's memory, helped change the energy in the crowd in his favor.
"When the chip went in, it gave me tremendous confidence and momentum. I felt really proud and energized, and it helped me play even better over the closing holes," Yang said through an interpreter this week.
Yang also made an important distinction in the way the crowd seemed to feel about him once he converted that thrilling eagle.
"Before that moment, most of the crowd support was directed toward Tiger, and after the chip-in, I could hear more cheering for me, and that gave me a lot of confidence and positive energy," Yang said. "It helped me feel much more comfortable."
On the very next hole, the par-5 15th, Woods faced a one-shot deficit and Yang observed Woods' second shot with a 5-wood as not being hit very cleanly.
Was Tiger nervous?
"On his second shot, Tiger hit it a little heavy," Yang recalls. "That's when I realized that Tiger is human, just like everyone else. Even Tiger can make mistakes under pressure. So my caddie A.J. Montecinos and I talked about that during the hole."
Perhaps Yang sensed a rare opening against a seemingly unstoppable Woods.
As they headed to Hazeltine's par-4 18th hole, Yang held a slim one-shot lead over Woods and found the left rough off the tee.
The 37-year-old then delivered one of the most impressive shots in major championship history — a blind shot up the hill from 210 yards with a 3-hybrid over the left trees that landed a couple of feet away from the pin and rolled out to about 10 feet.
Yang put the exclamation point on his maiden major championship with an energetic fist pump as he drained the ensuing birdie putt for a two-shot win.
"Considering the significance of that moment, I believe the second shot was the greatest shot I have ever hit," Yang said. "That shot changed my life, so I consider it the most important shot of my career."
Minutes later, after he finished his historic round, Yang famously grabbed his golf bag and lifted it over his head in an iconic moment of exhilaration.
"I felt overwhelming gratitude for everyone who had supported me throughout my journey, and I had a Korean flag that I always kept with me inside my golf bag," Yang said. "Raising the bag above my head was simply the most natural way I could express all of those emotions and appreciation."
And this week at Hazeltine, the best women in the game will look to produce their own career-defining shots in pursuit of the KPMG Women's PGA Championship trophy.
Six Korean women, spearheaded by Se Re Pak at the 1998 U.S. Women's Open, had won 10 major championships before Y.E. Yang won at Hazeltine, becoming the first Asian-born male winner of a men's major. Since his win in 2009, Korean women have won an impressive 25 major championships.
"I definitely believe that my achievement at the 2009 PGA Championship had an impact. I hope my victory helped motivate other Asian players and showed them that winning at the highest level was possible," Yang said. "Korean women golfers have performed at a world-class level for many years. Even though they've already achieved so much, I believe they will continue to win and accomplish even greater things in the future, and I hope that my achievement may have inspired them in some small way by showing what was possible."
Yang says a couple of Korean players' swings have gotten his attention as of late, including 2024 KPMG Women's PGA champion Amy Yang.
"Amy Yang has a very smooth and efficient golf swing," Y.E. Yang says. "Recently, I've also been very impressed by Hyo Joo Kim. She's playing excellent golf and continues to build an impressive career."
Yang has yet to revisit Hazeltine National since that memorable Sunday victory in 2009 over Woods, but did receive a surprising and thoughtful gift from the club in 2011, when it finished renovations to the clubhouse and had it reopened.
"The club sent me a wooden piece from the original clubhouse with an engraving on it," Yang said. "I'm very grateful for that gift, and I hope to return someday and bring something meaningful as a gesture of appreciation."
