Monday, April 8, 2013
Wesley Hall - Asian Golfing Phenom
Tianlang Guan (pronounced "Tin-Long") is 14 years old and is preparing to play in his first Masters tournament. The Chinese golfing prodigy earned a spot by winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. He will be the youngest player to play at the Masters and will be the second youngest player to ever play in a major. Golf is not very popular in China it was actually banned there until 1984. Tiger Woods, Tianlang's favorite golfer, didn't play in the Masters until he was 19. Tianlang Guan has worked with 3 time Masters champion Nick Faldo to prepare for the event. He has been in Augusta since March 18th. They wanted to get there early to practice and to also get acclimated to the time change. He has watched past Masters tournaments and has studied it extensively. He can chip and putt very well. He may not have the long drive that is necessary to win in Augusta but neither did Zach Johnson. There are usually only 3 Chinese reporters who cover the Masters but this year there will be about a dozen. Tianlang Guan is bringing golf to the attention of over a billion people.
Wojciechowski, G. (2013). Guan, 14, sits on cusp of history. ESPN.com, Retrieved from http://espn.go.com/golf/masters13/story/_/id/9134374/tianlang-guan-14-sits-cusp-masters-history-golf
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Wes,
ReplyDeleteI read this article on ESPN this morning and it was really inspirational. For a kid that is only fourteen years old to be playing in the biggest golf tournament and one of the biggest events in sports is truly remarkable. I really like your point about about Zach Johnson. He was definitely an underdog when he won the Masters in 2007. It takes your best mentality to go out and play under extreme pressure. The only thing that could affect Guan is playing in front of all those people compared to the little fan base there is in China. The pressure might get to him but he might have an advantage being so young because he is only worried about playing golf and being there rather than the pressure Tiger Woods has from fans and media.
- Jeff Kravetz
Wes,
ReplyDeleteI think this is amazing. I wonder how far along he will be until he will be considered great. I do not watch golf a lot but stories like this make me want to watch it more. I am curious how he will do in the Masters, although he is young he clearly has earned the right to prove himself. I also agree with Jeff in that the stage fright may be his biggest opponent but at the same time he has been trying with a 3 time Master's champion. Hopefully I can catch some highlights of the Masters and see what the kid can do!
Greg Gantt
Wes,
ReplyDeleteThis story caught my attention right away. It really is crazy to think that this kid is barely out of 8th grade and he is about to play his first Masters'. Tends to make me say, "what am I doing with my life?" This kid is a true phenom, and it will be interesting to see if the pressure folds on him. I hope the best for the kid, but going into a tournament like the Masters' is quite overwhelming. He will be matching up with men that have golfed their whole lives, and he is just starting. It really amazes me that someone so young can be so far along in their golf game.
Dan Pesato
Wes,
ReplyDeleteThis story is great. I normally watch golf, especially during the majors, and to see a fourteen year old competing at Augusta is just a wonderful story. It will be interesting to see how he performs this week. I believe if he makes the cut, that would be an added on success, because it is already a success for him because he is playing at the Masters at such a young age. It was interesting when they interviewed Tiger Woods about this kid, he said he had played a practice round with him, but he also pointed out that this kid is so young, he cannot even compete in high school golf events yet. Lastly, it will be interesting to see that if he continues to work on his golf game and improve, if he will attend college and compete collegiately, or if he will try to go straight to professional golf after high school.
-Tyler Jester