Tiger Woods tried turning up the heat on the field, taking a more aggressive approach on the tees and greens on the front nine holes in Sunday’s final round of the PGA Championship.
It didn’t translate into lower scoring for Woods, who made two bogeys and was tied with South Korean Yang Yong-Eun as they began the back nine at the wind-swept Hazeltine National Golf Club.
The duo made the turn three strokes ahead of the field.
Under hot muggy conditions, Woods parred the first three holes before making bogey on the par-3 fourth hole and then doing it again on No. 8.
Woods, who started the day with a two-shot lead, and Yang, hoping to become Asia’s first major championship winner, were paired together in the last group of the year’s final major tournament.
It is a chance for Woods to capture his 15th career major championship and become the first wire-to-wire winner at a PGA Championship since he turned the trick in 2000 by beating Bob May in a playoff.
But Woods is going to have to go lower on the back after three-putting the fourth hole for the second straight day. He missed a four-foot putt to the right side of the hole to post a bogey.
Yang, who beat Woods in 2006 at the HSBC Champions tournament in Shanghai, parred the hole to tie Woods for the lead but he fell back with a bogey of his own on the fifth.
Yang’s approach on five sailed right of the green, landing in the rough just in front of the gallery. He then had a difficult chip over a bunker to reach the green.
There is a long list of challengers and would-be major champions who have wilted under Woods’s final-round glare but Yang would not go away.
Yang even got lucky with his tee shot on the par-four sixth as his ball appeared to be going out of bounds but it hit the foot of a course marshall and stayed in.
Yang parred his first two holes before making a birdie on the par-5 third to slowly make up ground on Woods.
Yang started the day tied with Padraig Harrington but the Irishman appeared to fall out of contention with an eight on No. 8 to go to minus-one after staring the day at six-under.
American Sean O’Hair was the first one into the clubhouse played like he had an early flight to catch, covering the 18 holes in just two hours, 13 minutes and shooting a one-over 73 to finish at 14-over 302.
"They told me to slow down on the front nine because I was catching up to the green crew," said O’Hair, who played along because South African Richard Sterne pulled out Saturday.
Over half a centimetre of rain fell overnight and heavy thunderstorms expected early Sunday did not materialize as the main storm blew through quickly.
Playing conditions were still difficult Sunday because of high humidity strong winds and light drizzle.
"It is more like British Open weather," said American Scott McCarron. "You got to have a lot of patience."
The 2005 PGA champion, Phil Mickelson, finished with a disappointing four-over 76. The 39-year-old left-handed American skipped this year’s British Open to care for his wife and mother, who have been diagnosed with breast cancer.
Mickelson had five bogeys, three birdies and 10 pars in his round Sunday.
"Well the last two weeks have been very frustrating with my play," said Mickelson, who finished at 12-over 300. "I haven’t putted the best for a little while now.
"It is going to take a little more time. But at least I feel like I have a little bit better direction."
Woods and Yang tied at the turn in PGA Championship
