Tiger Woods vs. Y.E Yang II: Out for Justice

What would Ben Hogan have given for another shot at Jack Flack?

What if Bill Buckner was given another opportunity to catch Mookie Wilson’s ground ball in game six of the 1986 World Series?

What would Byron Russell do differently if he was given another chance to guard Michael Jordan in Game Six of the 1998 NBA Finals?

What would Roberto De Vincenzo give to go back in time to the 1968 Masters and have another crack at signing the correct scorecard?

Hogan, Buckner, Russell, and De Vincenzo never got an opportunity to seek redemption for these gut wrenching defeats.  For Buckner, Russell, and De Vincenzo, these losses defined their careers; and in the case of Hogan, his loss to Fleck put a small blemish an otherwise flawless career.

A chance at real redemption happens about as often as the Jets hold on to an AFC East lead in December.

On this day, however, Tiger Woods has an opportunity to gain at least some redemption for the most shocking loss of his career.

There will be no money or major championship glory on the line today at Harding Park Golf Course in San Francisco.  

A win will not move Woods any closer to Jack Nicklaus’ record of 18 major championships.

But all of that will mean very little to Tiger Woods when he steps onto the course this afternoon to take on Y.E. Yang, who, of course, took down Woods at the PGA Championship less than eight weeks ago.

Yup, Woods will have a chance to heal at least some of the scar tissue that accumulated on his ego when he bogeyed the final two holes of the 2009 PGA Championship and let a 54-hole lead slip away at a major for the first time in his career.  

Let’s call today’s match Woods/Yang II.

No, scratch that.  The Presidents Cup is being held less than 400 miles from Hollywood; we should probably create a more appealing name for a battle of this magnitude.

How about we name Woods’ showdown with Yang at the PGA Championship “Woods vs. Yang: First Blood” and we name today’s match “Woods vs. Yang II: Out for Justice”.   

Yeah, that has a more Hollywood feel to it.

Today will actually be the second time Woods will face Yang during the Presidents Cup matches.

Woods and Stricker handily defeated Yang and Ishikawa in a four-ball match yesterday afternoon.

But this will be the first, and possible the only time that Woods will have an opportunity to face Yang in a one-on-one match-play competition.

What are the chances of Woods loosing to Yang twice in the span of eight weeks?

Stranger things have certainly happened.

However, I sure wouldn’t want to be in Y.E. Yang’s shoes today.