Chinese prodigy Guan Tianlang, 14, will be the youngest player to compete at the US Masters next April but before that heads to Sydney for this year&aposs Emirates Australian Open at The Lakes from 6-9 December. Tianlang, who earned an invitation to the 2013 US Masters with his victory at the Asia-Pacific Amateur in Thailand, will play the Open for the first time after earning a Golf Australia exemption when he won the International Final of the Aaron Baddeley International Junior Championship in China earlier this year. Guan, the youngest player in the Asia- Pacific Amateur field also secured a place in International Final Qualifying (IFQ) for The Open Championship along with runner-up Pan Cheng-tsung of Chinese Taipei, Asia s No. 2 amateur, who shot a 65. I m so excited. I m really happy to become the youngest player at the Masters and looking forward to going there. I don t know what s going to happen there, but I know I just want to do well, said Guan, who punched the air in delight after holing his five-foot par putt on 18 and was quickly embraced by his proud father. Pan really did a good job, so I just needed to focus on my game and get some more birdies and keep going. I knew Pan had a really good front nine, so I was checking the scores a bit on the back nine. I just thought if I got a couple more birdies I would be the champion, added the Guangzhou-based schoolboy, the event s first Chinese champion. I had a great up and down on the last hole. I was a little bit nervous over the putt, said Guan, who averaged 250 yards with his driver. It was hot all week and it was a long course, not easy. Goss was hitting his drives 50 yards further than me and even his two-iron was 10 yards longer than my driver. However, I ve had my mum and dad supporting me all week, and they gave me a little bit of advice so I just want to thank them. Guan, who plays at Lion Lake Golf Club in Guangzhou, is used to breaking records and making history. He was the youngest winner of the China Amateur Open last November, while his appearance in this year s China Open made him the youngest player to compete on the European Tour.
Author: Golf Australia