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Masters 2013: Guan Tianlang, 14, makes cut despite penalty

Last updated on .From the section Golfcomments274

Guan discusses slow play penalty

Teenager Guan Tianlang was penalised for slow play at Augusta, but his overall score of four over was still enough to see him become the youngest golfer to make the cut at a major.

Guan, 14, was given the one-stroke penalty after making par on the 17th, having earlier been warned for slow play during the Masters second round.

The Chinese player said: "I respect the decision. This is what they can do."

Gregory Bourdy, at the 2010 US PGA, was the last to be penalised for slow play.

Guan carded 16 pars in total, although the one on 17 became a bogey after the European Tour's chief referee John Paramor alerted him of the penalty.

The teenager said he took extra time trying to gauge the tricky wind conditions.

"This still is a wonderful experience," he said. "I enjoyed this week so far and think I did a pretty good job."

Masters competition committee chairman Fred Ridley released a statement explaining that the Chinese amateur and playing partners Ben Crenshaw and Matteo Manassero were deemed out of position on the 10th hole.

Guan began being timed on the 12th hole, received his first warning after his second shot on the 13th, then was penalised after his second shot on the 17th "when he again exceeded the 40-second time limit by a considerable margin".

Despite the setback, the teenager went on to par the last for a 75, to go with his first-round 73.

He is exactly 10 shots behind tournament leader Jason Day of Australia.

Two-time winner Crenshaw said: "This is not going to end pretty. I'm sick for him [Guan]. I feel terrible. He is 14 years old. I'm so sorry this has happened."

Manassero held the record of being the youngest to make a major cut when at the age of 16 he qualified for the last two days of the 2009 Open.

The Italian said Guan did take too long on his shots.

"I think it's the biggest thing he needs to be careful about, because I think he's ready," said Manassero, who is five over for the championship after shooting a 74.

"When the caddie pulls the club for him, I think he's ready. But most of the times that he takes a little too long he just asks questions that I think he knows, but just to be sure, just to be clear in his mind.

"We all feel sorry, but this is the way professional golf goes.

"This will end up being a great experience for him."

Fred Couples, the 1992 champion, was reluctant to criticise Guan's penalty saying the rules should be applied just as strictly to the teenager despite his tender years.

"The soft-coated answer would be I feel bad, but I also feel like they just don't go around handing out one-shot penalties here," he said.

"I don't even know of anyone who has ever got one.

"It feels hard to give a 14-year-old a penalty, but he's in the field. He beat a lot of guys yesterday, whatever the age he is."

Guan also became the youngest player to make the cut in a PGA Tour event, breaking the 56-year-old record held by Canadian Bob Panasik, who was 15 when he made it through to the last two rounds of the 1957 Canadian Open.

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274 comments

  • Comment posted by User0183720768, at 22:39 12 Apr 2013

    Couldn't they have just given him detention instead?

  • Comment posted by bigal, at 00:01 13 Apr 2013

    I've no problem with slow play being penalised so long as the rules are adhered to ALL the time and applied EQUALLY & FAIRLY, which they clearly are not. Slow play has blighted golf for years, none of the big names are ever sanctioned for it; the minute they are it'll stop, but none of the officials have the balls to do it. Double standards at work here penalising a kid for copying the big boys.

  • Comment posted by Bryan, at 22:08 12 Apr 2013

    If he broke the rules, received appropriate warnings and didn't speed up, then fair enough. Just so long a the rules are applied, without fear or favour to everyone. Having spectated at many tour events, not sure this is always the case. More worrying could be that young players have grown up watching slow play from their heroes and copy them. Is this the future!!

  • Comment posted by User0100426552, at 23:12 12 Apr 2013

    feel sorry for the kid, but rules are rules. still, was very impressed with his response. very mature golfer.

  • Comment posted by User0472140414, at 22:32 12 Apr 2013

    Absolutely ridiculous! Obviously the old f**ts in the clubhouse feel so threatened by this highly talented young man they've done the unthinkable. What a joke these officials are!

  • Comment posted by Bomber, at 22:16 12 Apr 2013

    I remember Christian Caevar taking a sandwich out and eating it on the tee at the London Club a few years ago. Nothing happened. We need this applied to everyone or not at all. I wonder if an American will ever get penalised? How long was Bubba Watson in the trees last year? Yeah right.

  • Comment posted by scunnered, at 22:20 12 Apr 2013

    Some megawaged footballers could learn from the dignified way this young man accepted the ruling.

    I hope he makes the cut and inspires other youngsters to take up the game.

  • Comment posted by Ticktock63, at 01:57 13 Apr 2013

    I have played golf in China regularly over last 10 years and if this incident helps speed up play - which is incredibly slow, usually almost 5 hours a round at weekends - then it should be a big positive for the game. Wonderful that Guan made the cut. Astonished at the maturity of his reaction, bodes well for his future.

  • Comment posted by Kris, at 22:05 12 Apr 2013

    This is embarrassing by the rules officials, making an example of a 14 year old amateur golfer!! What about Keegan Bradley or Jason Day etc or the average 5 hour round on the PGA Tour. Wonder if they would consider doing the same to the leader of the tournament come Sunday afternoon. Somehow I don't think so!!!

  • Comment posted by User0959793170, at 21:58 12 Apr 2013

    The officials at the Masters or the PGA should hang their heads in shame. The youngest player in the tournament and he's 20 seconds over time and they penalise him when so many pros are simply overlooked. Shame knows no bounds!

  • Comment posted by down_the_rabbit_hole, at 23:33 12 Apr 2013

    The ruling itself is not really the issue but the fact that they have decided to apply this ruling, at this time, during the masters against this particular player is incredibly cowardly and smacks of an agenda.

    Would Paramour have given a penalty against Tiger or Mclroy or Bubba??

    Why aren't other notoriously slow players penalised??

    A grim day for professional golf.

  • Comment posted by Moskiman, at 00:06 13 Apr 2013

    If such penalties were more common I'd have no problem with them, but surely no one can honestly suggest that similar transgressions have been dealt with in an even handed manner? I can't believe that the referees haven't turned a blind eye to any number of the more well known players over the years as they've crawled their way through their rounds. A very cheap shot by John Paramour indeed

  • Comment posted by D1679561784785, at 22:13 12 Apr 2013

    hope he makes the cut.It seems that this is the harsh lessons
    he will need to learn playing with the pro golfers.Im sure he will.
    great talent

  • Comment posted by jon, at 13:58 13 Apr 2013

    Really petty by the USPGA. Guan Tianlang dealt with it with a level of humility and pragmatism well beyond his years. Very impressed by him, not so impressed by the USPGA.

  • Comment posted by Orshare, at 23:05 12 Apr 2013

    Strange that he was penalized on the 17th,only a hole from the final hole! Was that a deliberate attempt to ensure he did not make the cut? It will be to the eternal shame of those who put him off with the ridiculous one stroke penalty ,if he becomes the youngest golfer to make the cut in a major tournament.
    Disgracefull!

  • Comment posted by Miller42, at 13:33 13 Apr 2013

    @101 "at 14 why doesnt he do something constructive like learning something...golf is for has beens."

    I don't know the lad, but from his interviews he's clearly learnt at least two things besides golf.

    1. Humility
    2. Ability to speak at least one foriegn language

    I don't think that's such a bad start in life..

  • Comment posted by TMNorwich, at 22:58 12 Apr 2013

    Apparently this rule has only been applied once before, how about all the Americans who take 10 mins over a shot. It's disgraceful racist , shame on America

  • Comment posted by Toon1414, at 00:50 13 Apr 2013

    As wrong as this looks to be on the face of it, John Paramor did warn him several times - seasoned pros wouldn't let it get that far so he just needs to put this down to experience.
    A superb performance nonetheless and great that he still made the cut - and so impressed at how he took it and how well he spoke - very mature and a confident young man. I hope he isn't distracted for the next round.

  • Comment posted by Dave-Edinburgh, at 13:36 13 Apr 2013

    The slowest player over the last 10 years has been Tiger Woods, on a final day, if he's in contention. But of course we all know what the US PGA will do on Sunday if he's in contention. Sod all, as every. What this is, is a petty piece of bullying, lets nail the Chinese, and he's a kid, so wont kick up a fuss. Pathetic. USPGA, hold your head in shame.

  • Comment posted by ghettoliving, at 08:46 13 Apr 2013

    One might be forgiven for thinking they used an easy target to make a point. Doubt the mega millionaire celeb competitors would have taken in the dignified way this lad did.

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