Tianlang Guan: Will the 14-Year-Old Prodigy Develop into a Star?

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at Internationaled.org

Published: April 13, 2013

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For all narrative purposes, Tianlang Guan's Masters ended Saturday.

The 14-year-old Chinese phenom shot his worst round of the tournament at five-over 77, and now he trails all but one of the 61 golfers who made this year's cut.

Guan will finish out the string on Sunday and probably land somewhere near the back of the pack. The crowd will applaud his effort. Columnists will hit "publish" on their already-written paeans to Guan's courage. And the golf world will quickly return to the business of crowning a Masters champion.

What Guan achieved in becoming the youngest ever to both participate in the Masters and make the cut is bound to define his career moving forward. It will distinguish him from his generational peers at every turn, either as the preamble to a legendary career or a gloomy reminder of what could have been.

In other words, Guan is no longer a promising 14-year-old golfer—of which there are many. He's the promising 14-year-old golfer who held his own at Augusta National...and he always will be.



Like any sport, golf has its inner circle of prodigy busts.

South African Bobby Cole made the Masters cut at 18 but never quite reached stardom, settling instead into solid professional career that included third-place finishes at the British Open and PGA Championship.

Ty Tryon stunned the golfing world in 2001 when he turned pro at the tender age of 16. After some initial success—including a made cut at the Honda Open—Tryon quickly faded from view. He has qualified for just two major championships.

In 1957, 15-year-old Canadian Bob Panasik became the youngest golfer ever to last all four rounds at a PGA Tour event. Panasik never finished higher than 42nd at a major over the next two decades.

In the early 1970s, Floridian Eddie Pearce became the latest in a long line of amateur sensations to earn the esteemed "Next Nicklaus" ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Golf

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