YE Yang

Tom Watson also suffered a painful loss, at the 2009 Open Championship when he was 59. What do you think of the character he showed to deal with this in such a composed manner?

On the last hole [at Turnberry] he made a bogey after a mistake, which meant he had to go into a play-off which he lost [to Stewart Cink]. But it’s really hard for a senior player to be one of the top finishers in a huge tournament like the Open. I remember he was 59, which is 60 in Korean age. He did really well and the fact that he decided to participate in that tournament is itself worthy of respect.

Would I be able to play in Majors when I’m 60? I don't think it would be easy to play in those tournaments. Also, would I have the courage to compete with young players? Tom Watson played on the PGA Tour for a long time and won many tournaments so I guess he had confidence from the past. It seems to me everything is up to your attitude. Even if you’re older, character can bring good result.

Also, he seems to love golf so much. At that time, I thought to myself that if I look after my health and work out, I can play in big tournaments such as the Open in my old age, just like him. In the past, I was wondering how many years I’d be able to play. I thought I wouldn't have much future playing by the time I'm in my 50s.

But when I saw Tom Watson playing really well at his age, I realised that nothing is impossible if you try hard. He seems to have a good character and he’s a good role model. His was a very good performance and it even made me think that it was the right decision [by me] to play golf in the first place.