ST. LOUIS — Y.E. Yang forced a playoff with a 6-foot par putt for a 5-under 66 and made a 10-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole against Bernhard Langer to win the Ascension Charity Classic on Sunday for his first PGA Tour Champions title.
The 67-year-old Langer, who has a record 46 senior titles, was trying to win for the 18th consecutive season on the 50-and-older circuit and nearly did. He hit a shot out of the rough to 15 feet on the 18th hole at Norwood Hills and made birdie for a 64.
Yang’s par putt sent them to a playoff at 13-under 200.
Back to the 18th, Langer pulled his tee shot into the bunker and followed with a hybrid to about 15 feet. But his birdie attempt stayed on the high side of the hole, setting up Yang to deliver his winning putt.
The 52-year-old Yang is best known for being the only player to overcome a 54-hole deficit against Tiger Woods in a major when he won the 2009 PGA Championship at Hazeltine.
“PGA was a long time ago,” said Yang, in his third year on the PGA Tour Champions. “Today is very special.”
Missing from the playoff was Stewart Cink, going for his second straight win on the PGA Tour Champions after capturing the most recent tournament at The Ally Challenge. Cink hit the green in two on the par-5 15th and two-putted for birdie to take the lead.
Cink still led Yang and Langer by one shot going to the 17th. But he sent his drive well to the right and couldn’t hit the green. His chip up the slope stopped about 12 feet short, and Cink’s par putt rimmed around the cup.
Yang hit wedge into 4 feet for birdie, and the two-shot swing gave Yang the lead going to the 18th. Cink hit into a greenside bunker and couldn’t birdie, closing with a 67.
