Betting against Tiger Woods winning a major he's leading after three days is like betting the sun won't come up or betting that water isn't wet. Coming into today, Tiger was undefeated -- 14-0 -- when leading a major after 54 holes.Make that 14-1.
In what must rank as the greatest upset in golf history, Yang stared Tiger in the face and did what nobody -- not Phil Mickelson, not Vijay Singh, nobody -- has ever been able to do: run down and pass Tiger for a win at a major. And Yang did it in fine style, eagling No. 14 to take the lead and carrying a tree at 18 in what has to be one of the greatest approach shots under pressure that I can imagine. Seriously, can you think of another?
• Jack Fleck took down Ben Hogan in the 1955 U.S. Open. Hogan was seeking his fifth Open title; nobody outside of the Fleck family knew who Jack was. And until Sunday, it was the greatest upset in golf history.
• Francis Ouimet, a caddy, won the 1913 U.S. Open in Brookline, Mass. at his own course, winning in an 18-hole playoff over Harry Vardon and Ted Ray. It was the ultimate underdog story, like "Rocky" if Rocky had actually won.
But this one tops them all. Tiger had been unbeatable, and not only did a 37-year-old journeyman with one PGA win beat him, he did so decisively, staring down Tiger and forcing him into shot after uncomfortable shot. This was flawless, this was perfect, and even Tiger must surely appreciate the relentless way in which Y.E. Yang won this major.
It was a fitting finish to a major season that produced no household-name winners, but ended up being one of the best in many years. So what if the heroes didn't end up winning? It was a great ride, wasn't it? And Yang's victory was the perfect capper.
