I still remember where I was when I first heard the news...
Mike Tyson has been knocked out by James "Buster" Douglas tonight. This is NOT a joke, ladies and gentleman (emphasis sportscaster's)
I couldn't sleep all night. Mike Tyson was unbeatable. He was undefeated. He was the most feared fighter on the planet. Heck, I even had his Nintendo NES game and played it constantly!
Until a few moments ago, I thought I would never experience that level of shock related to a sporting event. That was until Tiger Woods was defeated by a golfer few had ever heard from at the PGA Championship this afternoon.
For the first time in his PGA career, Tiger Woods lost a major tournament subsequent to leading entering the final round (he was leading by 2 strokes at the beginning of the day). In this case, the "Buster Douglas" is Y.E. Yang, a 37-year old South Korean PGA pro with one (1) victory of any sort up to today. This is also the first time in history an Asian golf professional has ever won a major tournament in the PGA according to CBS.
Those of you who watched this match will know that this was not an instance of bad weather or bad luck on the part of Tiger Woods. I have never watched Tiger putt as poorly as he did today. Prior to the last hole, I think he missed 6 or 7 10-to-15 foot putts for birdie.
Tiger was, quite simply, outplayed in every facet of the game. Clutch shots...clutch putts...performance under pressure...it was Yang who thrived from beginning to end, and he is a deserving champion.
Tiger, we still love you and your excellence is never, ever in question. However, this round belongs to the 2009 PGA Champion, Y.E. Yang - who has made his country proud and done what no golfer had up to today: Walked into the ring with the heavyweight champion and walked out with the title.
And because I still love and cherish my American champion, I will not sleep well tonight. I will, however, pray for those who have to face him in a similar position in the future. Unlike Iron Mike, Tiger Woods has strength of character - and he will rise to the top again...BANK ON IT.