Salt in the Wound: News Around Tiger Woods' Tournament

After a week from Hell that included allegations of three affairs, a car accident, and a trip to the hospital, the last thing Tiger Woods wants to hear is bad news from the golf course.

Leading the way at the Chevron World Challenge is none other than Y. E. Yang, the 37 year old South Korean best known for becoming the first person ever to beat Woods after he led going into into the final round of a major.

It would be seemingly difficult for Woods' to be any more upset about this than anything else in his previously stellar life, but Yang's presence at the top of the leaderboard may just serve as the figurative straw that breaks Tiger's back.

Yang's victory over Woods was news to the PGA Tour regulars that maybe, just maybe Tiger wasn't perfect. It served as first notice that he was in fact beatable, and that you didn't have to be Phil Mickelson or Ernie Els to do it.

Had it not been for Tiger's recent public debacle, it might have gone unnoticed; unremembered. If not for the car accident it's possible, nay probable, that Tiger would have gone into California and come home with a title. He had after all won the tournament, referred to as his, three of the previous five years.

So why should we take special notice of Yang's lead in the tournament? Because now golfers around tour might put two and two together. He can be beaten on and off the course.

His decision making is not only imperfect, but downright foolish at times.

In a game that is commonly referred to as 90 percent mental, you have to think that the guys on tour will breathe a little easier while walking down 18 with Tiger, knowing that he's not perfect either.

In other news around The Chevron World Challenge:

• Graeme McDowell, an Irishmen without a career PGA Tour win, shot six under-par Saturday, and holds a share of the lead with Yang. He wasn't even supposed to play, but happened to be in LA for a connecting flight and was asked to stick around.
• Seven players are separated by three strokes or less at the top of the leaderboard
• Woods' presence is clearly being missed. Just under 7,000 fans attended the first day of the tournament as opposed to 12,000 when he last played in 2007.
• Padraig Harrington is only a stroke back, and is searching for his first win of the 2009 season.