AUGUSTA, Ga. (AP) a Guan Tianlang is in good company this week at Augusta National. He enjoyed a round Monday with two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw, then headed out in the afternoon with Padraig Harrington. He's a casino game arranged Tuesday with Tom Watson, an eight-time key success. On Wednesday, he plans to perform the Par 3 Tournament with Nick Faldo, winner of six majors. Can not he play with someone his or her own age? Perhaps not as of this Masters. Guan is the 14-year-old from China, the youngest to actually perform in the youngest player and the Masters at any significant in 148 years. He certified by winning the Asia Pacific Amateur Championship last drop in Thailand, and on a single of the most well-known golf courses in the world, now he gets a crack at the greatest in the game. Nerves? So far, just a huge laugh. "I am really excited in the day when I turn out on the program and there's lots of people here," Guan said Monday, doing his news conference in English with a translator at his side in the event he needed help. He rarely did. A child indicates to be special in lots of ways. He went wire-to-wire in the Asia Pacific novice, and he was not actually rattled on the ultimate hole at Amata Spring Country Club. With a belly club he'd been using for about half a year, he comfortably rapped in a par putt for the one-shot gain and a drive down Magnolia Lane a in the passenger seat, obviously. Age appears to have no limits these days in tennis. Padraig Harrington was when he set 20 documents to win the 1997 Masters 21. Sergio Garcia was 19 when he almost beat Woods in the PGA Championship 2 yrs later. Morgan Pressel was 18 when she won a major title on the LPGA Tour. Lydia Ko was 15 when she won the Women's Canadian Open a year ago on the LPGA Tour. Even so, here is the Masters. Guan is 14, the sole person in the area who produced his eighth-grade homework with him to Augusta National. "I knew he was young," Steve Stricker said Monday. "I didn't know he was the exact same age as my child. Yeah, that's exceptional. And I have been telling my daughter the same with this particular Lydia Ko, who has been playing on the LPGA Tour. I recently can not imagine being that young and competitive at this level at such an earlier age. It will be interesting. I will be interested to see how he does and how he manages it and how he plays. It is remarkable that he is actually playing." The only player younger than Guan in a significant title was Young Tom Morris, who was of a month younger in the 1865 British Open. He appeared 2-3 weeks ago and can't get enough of Augusta. Guan results he already has played six rounds, and he was with a member your day he shot 69. Whether that translates in the match is another story. Guan played in the Australian Open in December and opened having an 82 at The Lakes in Sydney. Though the first-round score was enough to assume what type of number waits on the 7,445-yard course at Augusta National, where just addressing the slick, contoured putting areas is area of the challenge, he bounced right back with a 70 the following day. "I might say I'm not long enough, but I think I am still fine in this tennis course," Guan said. "And I get a little bit longer in Thailand than here, but I think I am still fine, not just a really serious problem." At the least he's discovering the right kind of aid. A pal at his home program in China understands Crenshaw and passed along the concept that the kid wanted to play a round with him. Crenshaw gladly obliged, and was impressed with what he saw. Guan did not go wire-to-wire in Thailand on incident. Crenshaw examined his balance, contact and rhythm, and he tried to exhibit him the nuances of the mountains on the vegetables. "It was fascinating to see," Crenshaw said. Guan planned to stay in the Crow's Nest on Monday night, the tiny quarters set aside for the six amateurs in the field this week. He has been paying long days at Augusta in the week leading to the Masters, perhaps not leaving until twilight on Saturday. And he was back on the class Sunday, maneuvering to the practice round and enjoying nine holes. He was startled by way of a familiar voice. "There he is!" Watson bellowed in his path. Following a hearty handshake, Watson thought to him, "Working hard?" Guan nodded. "GOOD!" Watson responded, blinking his gap-tooth smile. The 30,000 fans on the class Monday didn't appear to bother Guan on the initial official day of training. Woods played 14 holes on Sunday with Stricker, and then came ultimately back Monday afternoon to play with Dustin Johnson, with Guan tagging along. "It is scary to believe that he was born after I won my first Masters," Woods said a couple of weeks ago from Increasing Hill. This is not the very first time the Chinese teenager have been seen by Woods. He was at the HSBC Champions in Shanghai many years ago, and during the pro-am Guan was in a group of juniors who played with Woods on the par-3 17th hole. Woods stood aside astonished, not only at this kind of refined move, nevertheless the composure playing before a thousand people. Guan has been searching for to Woods since he was 3 or 4 years of age, and "it's rather interesting to watch him." "I performed with him twice in the past couple years, and he gives me several advice and I'll say everytime I play with him, I feel better and give myself some confidence and it's very good," Guan said. Nicolas Colsaerts is making his Masters introduction. The Belgian, but, has the experience of playing major titles and a Ryder Cup a year ago. Plus, he's 30. "I do not think I'd have managed it," Colsaerts said. "You know, 14, we're all busy already playing plenty of good golf, but I believe everyone is nearly in shock, to play Augusta at 14. I hope for him he's likely to love this week as much as I am. I almost feel like I would be looked at the exact same way since this area needs as a rookie thing to be treated more. But, yeah, it is quite a success to make the journey to play Augusta and the Masters at 14 years old." There was one issue in Chinese, and his head was slowly shaken by Guan waiting for the writer to finish. As the center of attention this week, the reporter was interested if Guan might feel ashamed if he plays defectively. For Guan, it's more in regards to the experience compared to score. "As I say, I'm not planning to drive myself way too hard, and I am wanting to play my best, just enjoy my sport, and ideally play some good score," he explained.
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