A 13-year-old boy from China has become the youngest player to ever qualify for the Emirates Australian Open championship. Tian-Lang Guan won the Aaron Baddeley International Junior Championship in Qingyang in the southern Chinese province of Guangdong. Guan finished at 2-under par 286 after four rounds on the demanding Lion Lake Country Club layout. Sydney s Ricky Kato and Lucas Herbert from Bendigo tied for second, two strokes adrift. Astute judges have already predicted a bright future for Guan after he demolished this year s field at the World Junior (11-12 years) in San Diego by 11 strokes. He also finished 10th in a professional tournament in China. To quote one international team manager, the only other player I have seen this good is Tiger Woods, Tian-Lang is a sensation . While his goal is to win majors, Guan is very excited about playing in the Emirates Australian Open, having watched this year s championship at The Lakes won by Greg Chalmers. It’s pretty cool. The greens are tough. I think if you play there, be careful. Meanwhile, the girls title was won by Victorian 15-year-old Su-Hyun Oh, who defeated New Zealand s Cecilia Cho on the first extra hole of a sudden-death playoff. Both players finished at 8-over par 296. Oh receives an exemption into the Women’s Australian Open and the ANZ Ladies Masters. Australia also triumphed in the six-player team event by two strokes from New Zealand. The 11th staging of the Aaron Baddeley International Junior Championship was contested by 75 amateurs from 10 countries, including the United States, Japan, Mexico, Taiwan, New Zealand, Australia and China. For more details, please go to www.abijc.com
Author: