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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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Fourteen-year-old amateur Guan Tianlang tips his cap after sinking a birdie putt on the 18th green.
1 posted on 04/12/2013 9:25:46 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

2 posted on 04/12/2013 9:26:39 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Big deal. I shot 68 on the 1st six holes...


3 posted on 04/12/2013 9:28:56 AM PDT by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously, you won't live through it anyway)
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To: Vendome

Hey Fred Couples, is that you? :)


4 posted on 04/12/2013 9:31:47 AM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

I was at the practice round there on Tuesday and followed him for a couple holes - the kid is the real deal. Tom Watson was in the foursome and he would stand back to watch Guan tee off. He would smile and shake his head once off the tee - alot of fun to watch.


5 posted on 04/12/2013 9:32:10 AM PDT by capydick (''Life's tough.......it's even tougher if you're stupid.'')
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To: SeekAndFind

Naw, I still have sex and hate ugly pants...


6 posted on 04/12/2013 9:34:29 AM PDT by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously, you won't live through it anyway)
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To: capydick

He’s the real deal, but he’s the product of a system - robotic, no emotion, etc. If China wants to kill the PGA, just have the leader board flooded with robotic commies. The golden goose will die.

Korean domination has almost destroyed the LPGA.


7 posted on 04/12/2013 9:39:29 AM PDT by C. Edmund Wright (Tokyo Rove is more than a name, it's a GREAT WEBSITE)
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Click the Tree

We wish it grew there

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8 posted on 04/12/2013 9:43:20 AM PDT by TheOldLady
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To: SeekAndFind

the kid is having a pretty good 2 round too at 2 over par thru 13 when there are only 10 under par rounds from the entire field.

the course is playing really tought today.


9 posted on 04/12/2013 10:07:41 AM PDT by staytrue
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To: C. Edmund Wright

“Korean domination has almost destroyed the LPGA.”

Maybe the Americans and Europeans gals could play better instead.


10 posted on 04/12/2013 10:10:06 AM PDT by staytrue
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To: C. Edmund Wright

It is getting a bit better on LPGA. At least the leading players such as N.Y. Choi, Inbee Park & So Yeon Ryu etc can speak decent English and can smile.

Non-Korean players need to learn from the smooth swings of the Korean players. Paula Creamer would have become another Annika Sorenstam if she got rid of her violent body motion with the longer clubs.


11 posted on 04/12/2013 10:10:35 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

Rickie Fowler playes well in wet weather.....go Rickie...get R done !!!!!


12 posted on 04/12/2013 10:12:02 AM PDT by advertising guy ( sad when the " go to guy " at FOX NEWS is Greta)
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To: Vendome
My best round?....I was 14 yrs old and shooting 57 going into the 18th....My heart was pounding..hands shaking....and then i saw it...

The infamous 18th “Windmill Challenge” at Joe's Putt-Putt Golf at Coney Island....I lost it....cracked!...Took a 10 and never played Putt-Putt golf again....Sad but true......*W*

13 posted on 04/12/2013 10:15:39 AM PDT by M-cubed
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To: staytrue
Maybe the Americans and Europeans gals could play better instead.

That may be true, but you missed my point totally - which is - 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. The fans are turned off, and that's my point. As for the competitive aspect, I have no problem with it. Golf is a pure meritstocracy.

14 posted on 04/12/2013 10:17:16 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 think tall Asians with long torsoes may have a natural advantage in golf, and we should expect more of them competing at the top—whether government-sponsored or not.


15 posted on 04/12/2013 10:17:58 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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To: staytrue

My buddy and I had two Korean men in our weekly foursome. Funny guys, told us stories about their kids and what they did in business.

Their swings were identical. Mechanical. Down the center of the fairway, lay up, on the green and then they fell apart. Every Korean I played a round with was the same way.


16 posted on 04/12/2013 10:42:55 AM 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: M-cubed

LOL!

I actually went there years ago.


17 posted on 04/12/2013 10:52:54 AM PDT by Vendome (Don't take life so seriously, you won't live through it anyway)
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To: 9YearLurker

Far East Asian is genetically interesting. It is said today, man is composed of Neanderthal and Cro Magnon (modern) genes because both actually existed side by side and interbreeded, and Cro Magnon is suppose to be more aggressive and smarter then Neanderthal. Africans are suppose to have mostly Cro Magnon, Europeans have more Neanderthal, and Far East Asians have the most Neanderthal genes. Neanderthal is suppose to be less intelligent, yet Far East Asians have the highest IQ test scores while Africans in general have the lowest IQ test score. Go figure?!!! The other fact geneticist found is Far East Asians have a mutation that separates them from blacks and whites. Asians have thicker hair, more sweat glands and women in general have smaller breasts. Guess they traded more brains and less breasts? Well at least the white men and black men have more fun then the Far East Asian guys/ joke, but a very smart wife on the other hand can be very useful.


18 posted on 04/12/2013 10:54:10 AM PDT by Fee (9/11 first shaking; 2008 finance collapse second shaking; 2015 ????)
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To: 9YearLurker

That may be the case - interesting point - still won’t sell with the public IMO.


19 posted on 04/12/2013 10:55:28 AM PDT by C. Edmund Wright (Tokyo Rove is more than a name, it's a GREAT WEBSITE)
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To: Fee

Asians tend to have lower testosterone levels, by a bit, than whites, who have lower levels, by a bit, than blacks.

For men, high intelligence actually tends to be linked to lower testosterone—e.g., check out a college physics or math department. For women, however, it is linked to relatively higher testosterone levels—e.g., check out a college physics or math department.

Also, very athletic men are less likely to be very intelligent, whereas athletic women are more likely to be so.

As to Asian women and intelligence, obviously they haven’t been short-changed there, and of course there is more going on than what I’ve simply described.


20 posted on 04/12/2013 11:02:08 AM PDT by 9YearLurker
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