14- year- old Chinese golfer, Tianlang Guan, is the youngest player at this year’s Masters in Augusta National Park, Australia. He is the youngest player to ever play at the Masters, and according to British scoring official, John Paramor, his ability to play within himself and not panic has produced universal praise and tremendous excitement from the galleries in Augusta and all the way back to China.
Day two at the Masters saw Guan suffer a set back after he was penalized for time wasting by the scoring official. He was on the 18th tee when Paramor stopped play to explain the controversial one- stroke penalty decision he (Paramor) had meted on the young Chinese golfer shortly after hitting a fairway shot on the 17th tee.
“In keeping with the applicable rules, (Guan) was penalised…when he again exceeded a 40- seconds time limit by a considerable margin,” the Masters said via a statement.
In the game of golf, a player has 40- seconds to swing after initially addressing the ball. Prior to his decision, Paramor said he had advised Guan about slow play after both the 12th and 16th holes.
“He had warnings,” the British scoring official said. “Everything needs to be done to preserve fast play. I made that clear on the work from the 16th green to the 17th tee. In the fairway, he walked up the hill to have a look.”
The ruling is a rare one in tournament golf and moved Guan to 4- over par, putting his chances to make the cut for the Masters- a remarkable accomplishment- in jeopardy. All Guan could do was wait as the final players trickled in, setting the cut line. When Jason Day finally putted out some four hours later, establishing a two- round best 6- under par, the decision meant everything to Guan who had just snuck in by a single stroke.
As for Guan, the swirling winds at Augusta on Friday were all the reasons he had to switch clubs and slow his pre- shot routine.
“Today’s weather (was) not good,” Guan told ESPN. “(The) winds change a lot. I just had to change my club… so (I went) over 50 seconds. I respect the decision.”
Onlookers at the gallery couldn’t comprehend what happened. Guan’s father, Hanwen, wasn’t aware of the penalty stroke until he approached the 18th green and was informed by the media. He had hoped it was just a warning.
“A rule is a rule,” Hanwen said through a translator. “But I don’t want to talk too much about it.”
At the Bridgestone Invitation in 2009 Paramor warned Tiger Woods and Padraig Harrington to speed up play on the final round. Harrington immediately triple bogeyed the 16th hole and lost a one- stroke lead and eventually the tournament.
Paramor, however, sees this as a learning moment for the young Chinese golfing sensation.
