USPGA Championship:Korea's YE Yang made history as he became the first man to overturn a Tiger Woods 54-hole lead in a major and claimed the US PGA Championship at Hazeltine National where Pádraig Harrington suffered another disaster hole to put paid to his chances.

Yang, 37, becomes the first Asian-born player to win a major and he denied the world number one a 15th such victory, the American having previously enjoyed a perfect record in turning 14 third-round major leads into wins.

World number 110 Yang, with just one prior win in the United States to his name, landed his second in style, first overturning Woods’ two-shot lead and then eagling the par-four 14th hole to move in front before holding his nerve down the stretch to seal victory at seven under par with a two-under round of 70.

Woods came up short by three shots, taking a 75 for second place, with Rory McIlroy and England’s Lee Westwood tied for third place at three under.

“You never know in life,” Yang said through an interpreter following his remarkable victory. “This might be my last win as a golfer, but it sure is a great day.

“It’s going to be a big foundation for me to continue playing at the top level, which is the PGA Tour, and golf in America.

“And it just means the world right now. It hasn’t really sunk in, but I do know the significance of it.”

The catalyst for Yang’s victory came when he sent down a brilliant bunker shot for eagle at the par-four 14th as Woods birdied to take a one-shot lead with four to play.

Woods had begun the fourth round at a rain-softened Hazeltine with a two-shot lead at eight under par over playing partner Yang and defending champion Harrington.

Yang upped the ante with a birdie at the par-five third and Woods folded at the par-three fourth, three-putting for bogey to fall into a tie with the Korean at seven under.

Yang’s time in the lead was short-lived as he bogeyed the fifth, while Harrington narrowly missed birdie chances at the fifth and sixth to stay tied for second at six under.

Harrington had duelled with Woods the previous Sunday at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational until playing a disastrous 16th hole in Akron, Ohio, and the Dubliner’s reign as PGA champion was undone in one hole seven days later with a calamity at the par-three eighth, a quintuple bogey eight.

Woods, searching for a fifth PGA title that would tie for the record with Walter Hagen and Jack Nicklaus, took bogey at the same hole to fall to six under and the co-leaders made the turn with a three-shot lead over the field.

The USPGA champion had come out of the final pairing for the last 13 years and Woods took control once more with a birdie at the par-five 11th, only to bogey the 12th and drop back into a share of the lead with the Korean at six under.

Then came Yang’s moment of magic at the 14th, Woods making birdie to stay in the hunt with four to play. There was still time for drama as Woods bogeyed the par-three 17th only for Yang to miss his par putt and the Korean went to the 72nd hole still with a one-shot lead over the world number one.

Yang stayed cool at the 18th and sent in a remarkable hybrid shot from the left fairway fringe under a tree that just missed the hole, the Korean allowing himself a fist pump. From the other side but on the fairway, Woods’ five iron found left greenside rough.

That left Woods needing yet another miracle shot to rescue but his effort ran past the hole and Yang had two putts from 10 feet to become US PGA champion. He needed just one and history was made, Woods bogeying the 18th for his 75.

“I hit the ball so much better than my score indicates,” Woods said. “I hit it great all day.

“I made absolutely nothing. I just have to say terrible day on the greens and I had it at the wrong time.

“I was certainly in control of the tournament for most of the day, but just didn’t make anything today.

“I hit the ball great off the tee, hit my irons well. I did everything I needed to do except for getting the ball in the hole.”

McIlroy rebounded from a double bogey six at the first with five birdies and one bogey for a 70, the 20-year-old securing a second top-10 finish in a major this year having tied for 10th at the US Open.

Graeme McDowell closed with a level par 72 to also finish the tournament on level terms.

Westwood, third at last month’s British Open having bogeyed the 72nd hole to miss a play-off with Stewart Cink and Tom Watson, birdied the par-four 14th en route to a two-under 70 to be first in the clubhouse at three under.