Eager Yang seeking back to back victories

YE Yang

YE Yang is looking for more consistency in his game – and winning two weeks in a row would be perfect proof of that.

The Korean star triumphed in the China Open which finished last Sunday and is one of the leading contenders in this week's Ballantine's Championship.

The €2.2 million showpiece tees off this Thursday (22 April) at Pinx Golf Club on Jeju, the picturesque Korean island where Yang was born and raised.

"I haven't won two weeks in a row before," he said. "Perhaps that is an issue about me not being as focused in the next tournament after I've just won.

"So winning two weeks in a row is another goal for me. I won last week and I have an opportunity to do so again this week, so I'm thinking about how I can do that. It's about having consistency in my game."

Yang admitted he had battled through a busy schedule since his historic PGA Championship triumph last August, when he beat Tiger Woods in a thrilling duel to become the first Asian to win a Major.

In that time, he had learned to be patient with his game, he revealed. "Since winning the PGA Championship, it's been a very hectic schedule for me," he said.

"You always want to play well but there are always areas that don't satisfy you or meet your expectations. I mean, how easy would golf be if you could control it the way you want to?

"It's inevitable you'll miss some shots but you must focus on how you'll recover your next shot. If you try to think too much or become obsessed about the shots that go wrong, then it has a negative effect on your game.

"I think having a very positive attitude and focusing on the shot you're playing right now is important, and it was this attitude that led to last week's great result."

The Ballantine's Championship represents a happy homecoming for Yang. His China Open victory followed an excellent showing at the Masters, where he finished joint eighth, and his sister's wedding last week added to the celebrations.

"I wanted to win a tournament before I came to Jeju and I was able to do that," he said. "So it is with a very joyous heart that I return to my hometown.

"I wasn't able to attend my sister's wedding because I was playing golf, but I heard it went very well. So for me and for my family right now, a lot of good things are happening."

Yang is joined in the Ballantine's Championship by three-time Major winner Ernie Els, world No.10 Anthony Kim and six-time European Tour winner Henrik Stenson.

In addition, the field includes the tournament's first two champions - Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell, who triumphed in 2008, and Thailand's Thongchai Jaidee.

The Ballantine's Championship is once again be co-sanctioned by the European Tour, Asian Tour and Korea PGA.