If Tianlang Guan was a company stock — and in many ways he is — Ben Crenshaw would buy him in huge blocks.
Crenshaw, a 61-year-old, three-time Masters champion, played the first round of the Masters with the 14-year-old from China on Thursday. Afterward, he marveled at what he witnessed.
Guan, the youngest participant in a major championship in 148 years, since the 1865 British Open, carded a 1-0ver 73.
“He played four of the most beautiful, delicate pitches I’ve ever seen,” said Crenshaw, who finished seven strokes behind Guan’s pace. “I mean, wow. It must help to have 14-year-old nerves. I’m telling you he played like a veteran today, played like a 28-year-old journeyman who has been around the block many, many times. He played a beautiful round of golf.”
At least three times during the round, Crenshaw found himself standing and applauding: after Guan’s pitch to save par on No. 6, after another chip to get up-and-down on 17 and on No. 18 when Guan ran a putt in from off the green for his fourth birdie of the day.
Crenshaw also played with Guan in a practice round Monday, but this was different. This was taking place with the cameras rolling and the strokes going in a book for keeps.
So focused was the young eighth-grader that he didn’t notice the effect he was having on his newly minted mentor.
“I didn’t see it,” Guan said of Crenshaw’s ovations. “But Ben is a great person, and I enjoy playing with him. Hopefully we can have some more fun tomorrow.”
Guan said that other than at his opening tee shot on 1 he was not nervous, and he striped that one down the middle. He said he slept well Wednesday night and expects to before Friday’s 9:06 a.m. start.”I just want to play some good golf and enjoy it,” Guan said.
Much of what the slightly built Asian does on the golf course defies logic. He’s having to hit fairway woods and hybrids to most greens, as he did on the 495-yard, par-4 10th hole. After his drive, Guan had to use a hybrid to get home from 191 yards. He knocked it on the green and birdied.
“Not having that much distance, he needs to keep the ball in play, and he’s done that well,” said Italy’s Matteo Manassero, a 19-year-old who was the young guy everybody was talking about here three years ago. “He’s made some nice putts and recovered well. I think 1 over was a good score for him. You can see that he could do it tomorrow again without any problem.”
For now, Guan said that his goal is just to “have fun” and possibly make the cut, but he has much greater hopes for the future.
“Yeah, I want to win a major, and hopefully I can win the four majors in one year,” he said matter-of-factly.
Reporters in the interview room laughed at the youthful boldness of the statement. Crenshaw doesn’t think it’s beyond the realm of possibility.
“I see nothing but straight up from here,” Crenshaw said. “I think he’ll grow more. I mean, he’s only 14. But it’s obvious he has a great love for it, a passion for it. … Very, very, very impressive.”
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