Tour news: Little-known Korean Yang Yong-eun outshone the star names of Tiger Woods, Retief Goosen and Michael Campbell to win the HSBC Champions event in Shanghai yesterday.
Yang pocketed the €655,883 prize-money as he shot from seemingly nowhere to card a three-under-par 69 for an impressive 14-under 274 total in the first event of the 2007 European Tour schedule.
It condemned world number one Woods to another second-place finish at the Sheshan International Golf Club - he finished three shots behind David Howell last year.
In truth, the 2006 British Open champion and US PGA winner will look to his own mixed form as the reason he was unable to add another victory to his expansive collection.
But he refused to take anything away from Yang, who was allowed the luxury of a one-over 37 on the back nine on his way to a third success of the year but by far his biggest of his career.
"I had my chances and Saturday (when he shot a one-over 72) was the day that if I could have hung in there, I could have made a challenge for the tournament," Woods said:.
"But I was too far back and Yang just went on and played some great holes. He just went off and it was basically out of reach and I was just trying to get as many birdies as I could and maybe get second."
For the first two days, the tournament was led by another Asian, India's Jyoti Randhawa, who had a poor weekend to slide down the leaderboard to finish tied at ninth.
But, with four Asians included in the final top 20, Woods believes that golf has become less exclusive, with players from all over the world capable of winning the top events.
"Golf has changed," he added. "It has evolved and become more international. There is more depth now. Look at every field now, there are guys that can win. That wasn't the case 15-20 years ago, but now that has changed."
The victory left Yang, who now goes to the top of the European Order of Merit, lost for words.
"I don't know why I am sitting here to be honest. It just feels so new right now," he said.
"This is such a big thing that is happening to me right now, it is such a big moment in my life, that it is really hard to explain in words how I feel right now."
Goosen, meanwhile, was disappointed with his final-round showing, as he let slip the overnight lead to finish one over for his round and 11-under for the tournament.
Marc Warren rounded off an excellent tournament by finishing fifth with a one-under-par 71 to lift him to 10 under, while HSBC World Matchplay champion Paul Casey also shot a 71 to finish eight under, alongside Padraig Harrington, who closed with a 70.
