Yang began playing golf at age 10 in South Korea and moved to the Gold Coast of Australia with her family at age 15 to pursue golf more seriously.
In 2005, she won the Queensland Amateur Championship, the youngest winner ever of that championship. In 2006, while still an amateur she won the ANZ Ladies Masters on the Ladies European Tour (LET), making her the youngest winner ever on the LET at age 16 years, 192 days (a record later broken by 14-year-old amateur Atthaya Thitikul in July 2017).
Professional career
After her win in at the ANZ Ladies Masters, the LET offered Yang a special three-year membership exemption beginning in 2006 as a 17-year-old, providing she traveled with her parents until she turned 18. She recorded four top-20 finishes in 2007 while still attended high school.
Yang attended LPGA Tour qualifying school in the fall of 2007 and obtained conditional status on the LPGA Tour as well for 2008.
In June 2008, Yang claimed her second LET win with a four-shot win at the Ladies German Open. Upon winning, Yang announced that she was donating her entire prize of $61,260 to victims of a recent earthquake in China.[1]
That December, she returned to the LPGA Qualifying School, this time earning full playing status for 2009 by finishing second in the five-round event.[2]
On 1 March 2015, Yang won her second LPGA tournament at the Honda LPGA Thailand, a title she won for a second and third time in 2017 and 2019 respectively.[4]
On 24 June 2024, Yang won her first major title at the Women's PGA Championship in her 75th major start.
Personal life
Yang lives with her father, Joon Mo (James), mother, Sun Hee (Sunny), and younger brother, Steven. In the fall of 2007 the family moved from Australia to Orlando, Florida.[5]
^Hellsten, CM (September 2001). "Annikas avsked, Scandinavian TPC hosted by Annika" [Annika's farewell, Scandinavian TPC hosted by Annika]. Svensk Golf (in Swedish). No. 10/2008. p. 98. Retrieved 1 September 2023.