There is only one player who ever stopped Tiger Woods winning a major after he held a 54-hole lead

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One of the most incredible statistics from Tiger Woods’ time at the top of the golfing world was the fact that he simply did not lose when he had at least a share of the lead after 54 holes at a major championship.

Tiger Woods won 14 of his 15 majors between 1997 and 2008. And in that time, Woods would win every time he found himself in the lead after three rounds. In fact, there has only been one occasion where the 48-year-old has been in the lead after 54 holes and not won.

2009 had been an interesting year for Woods. He had returned to action after winning the 2008 US Open on essentially a broken leg. He finished in a tie for sixth at both The Masters and the US Open.

However, that was followed by Woods missing the cut at The Open Championship for the first time in his career. So it seemed to be a statement that he found himself leading after each of the first three rounds at Hazeltine at the PGA Championship.

The only major Tiger Woods failed to win after leading after three rounds

Woods had led by four at the halfway mark in Minnesota, but that advantage was cut in half after Saturday, with Pádraig Harrington and Y.E. Yang tied for second place.

Harrington’s challenge was to end after he made a quintuple bogey on the par three eighth hole. Woods meanwhile, would post, by far, his worst round of the week, shooting 75 to fall back to five under par.

It was to be Yang who took advantage. The South Korean took the lead on the 14th hole by making an eagle, and he went on to win by three. His tournament will be remembered for the incredible approach he hit on 18, and the way he celebrated his victory. Yang would lift his golf bag above his head as he became the first male player from Asia to win a major.

The career of Y.E. Yang

Yang had actually secured his first win on the PGA Tour earlier that year, with victory at the Honda Classic. He would not win again on the PGA Tour after Hazeltine, but did manage to break into the top 20 in the world rankings in 2010.

Yang would also finish in the top 10 at the 2010 Masters and the 2011 US Open. Meanwhile, his best result in The Open Championship was tied 16th in 2011.

The 52-year-old now plays on PGA Tour Champions and recently finished second to Harrington at the Simmons Bank Championship. And he currently stands fifth in the Charles Schwab Cup on the tour, behind the likes of Ernie Els, Steven Alker, Stephen Ames and Harrington.