Masters 2013: 14-Year Old Tianlang Guan Shoots 1-Over Par in First Round
By Josh Hill
One of the most incredible stories of the 2013 Masters is that Chinese golfer Tianlang Guan has officially became the youngest ever participant in the storied Augusta tradition. What’s more incredible is that the 14-year old completed his opening round 1-over par, which has him tied at 46th heading into the second day of the tournament.
Guan managed four birdies on the first day, but was sunk a bit by bogies on the first, seventh, ninth, eleventh and fourteenth holes. The young golfer than pared the rest of his holes on Thursday, finishing the day with a score of 73. How good of a finish was Guan’s first ever round at the Masters; he’s currently tied with names like Steve Stricker, is currently one shot behind Vijay Singh, two shots behind Rory McIlroy and is two shots ahead of last year’s winner, Bubba Watson.
To put Guan’s age and current standing among golfers into perspective (and to make you feel really old), when he was born on October 25, 1998, Tiger Woods had only one major championship under his belt and was still a year away from winning his first ever U.S. Open Championship.
Guan’s prospects of winning the Master this year remain slim-to-none, but he’s putting on a good show in the meantime and it’s not improbable that something as historic as The Masters would be blessed with a story like a 14-year old winning a Green Jacket. He’s got work ahead of him, and clearly is still a raw talent, but even if Tianlang Guan doesn’t finish above Par in his debut at The Masters, it’s not hard to imagine him finishing atop the leader board in the near future.