Yang Yong-eun, Daly, and Popov... 'Major Champions of Upsets'

Yang Yong-eun Defeated Woods at 2009 PGA Championship
Daly Created Legend by Winning as Alternate in 1991
Popov Overcame Rare Disease to Win 2020 AIG Women's Open

Major champion. It is not an easy challenge. There are players who dominate the global tours but have little presence in major tournaments. Lee Westwood (USA) is a representative example. He is a top-tier player with 27 wins on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour (formerly European Tour). Including the Japan and Asian (APGA) tours, he has amassed an impressive 46 victories. However, his best results in majors are runner-up finishes at the Masters and The Open. On the other hand, some players have instantly become stars by collecting major championship trophies. They are the biggest upset major champions in history.

Yang Yong-eun (left) is roaring after defeating the "Golf Emperor" Tiger Woods and winning the 2009 PGA Championship.

“The Man of the Wind” Yang Yong-eun is a prime example. He won the 2009 PGA Championship held at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota, USA, defeating “Golf Emperor” Tiger Woods (USA). This was the first major championship victory by a Korean and Asian player. Yang Yong-eun notably defeated Woods at the 2006 DP World Tour HSBC Champions and this time played alongside Woods in the final group before claiming the title.

On the final day, Yang Yong-eun hit a 20-meter eagle with a pitching wedge on the 14th hole, and on the last 18th hole (both par 4), he produced a spectacular shot worthy of “Shot of the Year.” With 210 yards remaining, he hit a hybrid club shot that landed 2 meters from the hole, securing a birdie. Fox Sports USA called Yang Yong-eun’s PGA Championship victory the third biggest upset in sports history, dubbing him the “Tiger Killer.”

John Daly is posing with the trophy immediately after winning the 1991 PGA Championship, where he participated as an alternate.

The “maverick” John Daly (USA) created a “Cinderella story” at the 1991 PGA Championship. Daly did not have a spot in the tournament held at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Indiana. He was the ninth alternate. Fate intervened when Nick Price (South Africa) withdrew suddenly due to the birth of a child, giving Daly a chance. He drove overnight to arrive and compete in the PGA Championship.

Daly was not in the spotlight at the time. He did not even play a practice round before the tournament. He started tied for 5th on the first day, surged to a one-stroke lead on the second day, and on the final day, he defeated Bruce Lietzke (USA) by three strokes to lift the winner’s trophy. Daly also won The Open in 1995 and rose to stardom but was involved in numerous controversies including multiple divorces, alcoholism, and gambling.

Sophia Popov is shedding tears after overcoming a rare disease and winning the 2020 AIG Women's Open.

On the LPGA Tour, Sophia Popov (Germany) produced the biggest upset in major history. She won the 2020 AIG Women’s Open at Royal Troon Golf Club in Troon, Scotland. She became the first German player to win an LPGA major. At the time, Popov was ranked 304th in the world. She is the lowest-ranked major champion since the world rankings were introduced in 2006.

Popov worked mini-tours and as a caddie to earn money. Shortly after her victory, her struggles during her rookie season were revealed. She debuted on the LPGA Tour in 2015 but lost over 11 kg and visited about twenty hospitals. She was diagnosed with Lyme disease, caused by infection with Borrelia bacteria transmitted by ticks. Popov said, “There were up to ten symptoms in severe cases,” and “I had a hard time because I didn’t know the exact diagnosis.” Her winner’s prize of $675,000 (about 860 million KRW) was six times the $108,051 (about 140 million KRW) she had earned in her lifetime before that.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.