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At 14, China’s Tianlang Guan stuns veterans with a 73 in first round of Augusta Masters
New York Daily News ^ | 04/12/2013 | BY FILIP BONDY

Posted on 04/12/2013 9:25:46 AM PDT by SeekAndFind

To put this performance into perspective, consider that Guan finished his first career Masters round tied with five major champions and two strokes ahead of the defending champion, Bubba Watson.

He should have been a nervous wreck, a golfing shambles. The sheer length of Augusta National was supposed to overwhelm Tianlang Guan, remind him that he is 14 years old, an eighth grader, a thin reed in a forest of pines.

Instead, Guan rolled a 20-foot, pin-high putt into the cup on the 18th hole for a final birdie, giving him an impressive 1-over 73 in the first round Thursday. Altogether, he recorded four birdies and five bogeys on the round.

“Like a dream come true,” Guan said. To put this performance into perspective, consider that Guan finished his first career Masters round tied with five major champions and two strokes ahead of the defending champion, Bubba Watson.

His mom had packed him a snack in the morning and then off he went, the youngest Masters competitor in history. He impressed a lot of people, although Guan appeared least surprised of all by his own success. When asked about his career goals, Guan was not particularly modest.

“Hopefully I can win the four majors in one year,” he said.

Ben Crenshaw, one of his two playing partners on Thursday, did not disagree. Crenshaw has become something of a tutor for Guan here, has played a practice round with him and dined with Guan’s uncle to discuss the kid’s future.

(Excerpt) Read more at nydailynews.com ...


TOPICS: Society; Sports
KEYWORDS: golf; guantianlang; masters
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To: C. Edmund Wright

The “commies” did not give Asian children their strong perserverance in the pursuit of something they find they are good at, Asian parenting culture did and still does. Some Americans and their parents are and have been no different.


41 posted on 04/12/2013 2:56:47 PM PDT by Wuli
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To: C. Edmund Wright

“fans don’t want a bunch of foreign golfers who all have similar sounding short names, look alike, and for the most part are robotic”

“Look alike” - obvisouly no world traveler you

it’s not exactly “racist”, just culturally isolated

if you grew up as a “white” kid in an Asian country, or maybe even just spent a really great amount of continuous time in an Asian country you’d know the “look a like” meme is no more than a lack of familiarity;

even just might 18 months in Korea in the 1960s taught me that much


42 posted on 04/12/2013 3:02:53 PM PDT by Wuli
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To: EQAndyBuzz

“Every Korean I played a round with was the same way.”

And how many Koreans was that and what level golf would you say you all were playing??


43 posted on 04/12/2013 3:08:50 PM PDT by Wuli
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To: Wuli

Probably a couple of dozen over the course of a few years.

I would say most were shooting in the mid 80’s.


44 posted on 04/12/2013 4:58:39 PM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (The reason we own guns is to protect ourselves from those wanting to take our guns from us.)
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To: dfwgator

“But Kim Jong Il shot an amazing 11 holes-in-one to achieve an unprecedented 38-under-par game on a regulation 18-hole golf course - on his first try at golf.”

Regulation “miniature 18 hole golf course.” To Kim, a miniature golf course by our standards is Pebble Beach to him.


45 posted on 04/12/2013 5:00:26 PM PDT by EQAndyBuzz (The reason we own guns is to protect ourselves from those wanting to take our guns from us.)
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To: Wuli
Asian parenting culture did and still does.

That brings to mind an Asian female programmer I knew at work.

first of all, she was gorgeous.....but I digress.

We were talking about her family's interests in athletics and education and while education for her kids was foremost and driven into them, they were also active as a WHOLE FAMILY in tennis and golf and everything they did........

46 posted on 04/12/2013 5:09:46 PM PDT by Hot Tabasco (This space for rent)
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To: Wuli

Get off your high horse - I was not describing me - I was explaining why the women’s tour has tanked in popularity - and I think my observations are correct. So take your self righteousness somewhere else - and keep in mind that the many millions of golf fans who do not watch women’s golf were not travelers for 18 months in Korea.

My wife and I however run a mission, which we fund ourselves, to many places in the world.


47 posted on 04/12/2013 5:23:31 PM PDT by C. Edmund Wright (Tokyo Rove is more than a name, it's a GREAT WEBSITE)
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To: Wuli

In certain cultures, the government steps in and removes all choice from the parents and the children - China, former Soviet Union, to name a few. Probably North Korea.


48 posted on 04/12/2013 5:26:27 PM PDT by C. Edmund Wright (Tokyo Rove is more than a name, it's a GREAT WEBSITE)
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To: staytrue

My opinion is Paula Creamer starts the downswing too fast. When you do that, all you have is velocity and very little acceleration of club head at contact with ball.

Take a good look at Ai Miyazato’s swing, She actually stops at the end of her backswing, starts slowly and explodes during contact. She is many inches shorter than Paula and many pounds lighter and yet has won more in the last 5 years.


49 posted on 04/13/2013 11:36:37 AM PDT by entropy12 (The republic is doomed cuz people have figured out they can get free stuff by voting democrats)
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To: staytrue

Those rumors about Sorenstam’s PED’s is unfounded. You should investigate how many hours Sorenstam spent in the gym working out with strength training. More than almost any lady golfer!


50 posted on 04/13/2013 11:40:48 AM PDT by entropy12 (The republic is doomed cuz people have figured out they can get free stuff by voting democrats)
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To: C. Edmund Wright

The Korean gals are cute though


51 posted on 04/13/2013 11:42:43 AM PDT by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
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To: GeronL
The Korean gals are cute though

Friend of mine told me the most gorgeous women in the world were Thai women in Bangkok - that is - until he found out most of those gorgeous women were 14 year old bois. I know, off subject, but for some reason your post reminded me of it. And my friend is ex Mossad - he is no softie - just being funny and calling it like he saw it.

52 posted on 04/13/2013 11:51:12 AM PDT by C. Edmund Wright (Tokyo Rove is more than a name, it's a GREAT WEBSITE)
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To: C. Edmund Wright
I could watch Na Yeon Choi all day. Puppet club covers, gnawing candy between turns or while looking for a lost ball


53 posted on 04/13/2013 11:51:12 AM PDT by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
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To: C. Edmund Wright

I would never go to Bangkok


54 posted on 04/13/2013 11:52:34 AM PDT by GeronL (http://asspos.blogspot.com)
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To: GeronL

Dang, I might have to check this tour out again......


55 posted on 04/13/2013 11:54:26 AM PDT by C. Edmund Wright (Tokyo Rove is more than a name, it's a GREAT WEBSITE)
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To: C. Edmund Wright

me thinks YOU protest too much,

it is highly doubtful you have any reputable survey for why American viewers are maybe not watching the LGPA tours too much, so it is suspect from where you got the idea that

“fans don’t want a bunch of foreign golfers who all have similar sounding short names, look alike, and for the most part are robotic”

unless each part of that idea, including the “look alike” part came from yourself

it may just be that the American segment of the field does not look that highly competitive; there are 360+ American registered LPGA players but only 68 (17%) played in a LPGA sanctioned event this year; while tiny South Korea only fields 38 registered players in the LPGA but 27 of them (71%) have played in an LPGA sanctioned event this year

there’s a large field of American LPGA members but only a small % are very competitive or even play in a sanctioned LPGA event, so they just do not bring a lot of American viewers with them

I think that is more the reason than what anyone thinks of the registered foreign players.

Myself, I watch to see good golf and the nationality of the player is little concern to me; I want to see good players playing good golf. Like Yesterday Tiger Woods may have been disappointed by his performance, and rightly so. For me that did not change the quality of the game at the top between three Aussies and an Argentinian. It’s not up to me to get a better American at the top of the leaderboard. That’s up to the Americans who want to play professionally. The same is true for the LPGA.


56 posted on 04/15/2013 8:42:06 PM PDT by Wuli
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To: Wuli

Get over it. I was making an off the cuff observation. YOu are clearly obsessed with Asian Americans and the LPGA Tour. That’s fine. It’s a free country. You read way way way way way way way way way way way too much into it.


57 posted on 04/16/2013 1:06:03 AM PDT by C. Edmund Wright (Tokyo Rove is more than a name, it's a GREAT WEBSITE)
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To: Wuli

For thr record, the PGA tour is something altogether different. This Masters was a helluva show from start to finish. Cabrera’s shot on 18 was the highlight, even though he ultimately came in second.


58 posted on 04/16/2013 1:08:33 AM PDT by C. Edmund Wright (Tokyo Rove is more than a name, it's a GREAT WEBSITE)
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To: C. Edmund Wright

“YOu are clearly obsessed with Asian Americans and the LPGA Tour.”

again, the pot calls the kettle black


59 posted on 04/16/2013 12:07:38 PM PDT by Wuli
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To: Wuli

No, I was making a disinterested third person interpretation of why the LPGA had not kept up with almost any other sports league in the past ten years or so. I never really cared for it, and feel much the same now, so obsession was the farthest thing from my mind. Indifference is what I feel, other than making an observation.

I think my Asian theory is correct, at least partly so.

You took that personally, which was absurd in the first place. Do you have any other theories? I’d love to hear them.


60 posted on 04/16/2013 12:10:25 PM PDT by C. Edmund Wright (Tokyo Rove is more than a name, it's a GREAT WEBSITE)
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