As the world’s best players compete for a coveted Green Jacket, there are often incredible amateur storylines unfolding further down the field.
That rang true when the 2013 Masters as Adam Scott claimed a first Major in a playoff and a 14-year-old qualifier overcame ridiculous odds to make his own history.
3
Guan Tianlang stunned the golf world as a teenagerCredit: AFP
Guan Tianlang earned his entry after a triumph at the 2012 Asia Pacific Amateur Championship.
He had already written his name into the history books before the first hole as the youngest player ever to appear at The Masters.
By making the cut and ultimately finishing 58th, he earned the Silver Cup awarded to the lowest-scoring amateur to reach the weekend and become the youngest man ever to get that far in a PGA Tour event.
“It was a great achievement to win low amateur and to be in the Butler Cabin on Masters Sunday,” he later told The Augusta Chronicle.
“Several other Chinese golfers have made it to the Masters and PGA Tour, and I know one day Chinese golf will shine on the biggest stage worldwide.”
His records have stood the test of time and are unbeaten as the 2025 edition approaches on Thursday.
Italian Matteo Manassero remains the closest to Tianlang’s accomplishment after making the weekend at the 2009 Open Championship at 16 years and two months.
The Chinese golfer’s achievement is even more impressive as his tournament was almost sunk after he fell foul of a strict rule.
On the Friday, he was controversially hit with a one-shot penalty for slow play on the 17th hole.
Referee John Paramor later confirmed that Tianlang had been warned on at least three occasions before the rap.
3
Tianlang has not been able to follow up on his successCredit: AFP
3
A brutal penalty almost ended his history bidCredit: Getty
“Tianlang Guan was assessed a one-stroke penalty for slow play?! What a time and what a player for officials to start making such a ruling,” blasted The Golf Channel’s Jason Sobel at the time.
It led to a second-round 75 and left him four-over — narrowly making it inside the cut line after Jason Day’s par on the 18th meant the youngster was within the 10-shot cutoff from the leader.
It appeared as though Tianlang was destined for greatness, so what became of him?
His next big appearance was at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans on a sponsors exemption, where he made the cut again but finished dead last.
The platform did not lead to success and the hopeful joined the University of Arizona’s Wildcats golf team in 2017.
He went pro in 2020 and has been playing on the PGA Tour Series China and China Tour.
One potential reason for Tianlang’s struggles could be the move to ban anchoring the putter in 2016 — it took away one of the strongest points of the whizkid’s game.
He didn’t have a single three-putt at the Masters in 2013.
Tianlang is still playing and at 26 years of age, has plenty of time to make it back to the hallowed greens.
Speaking in 2023, the world No. 3493 was bullish about his future.
“Playing (a practice round) with Tiger [Woods] was also a great experience. I had met him before in China, but the atmosphere and the crowd at the Masters was very different,” he told The Augusta Chronicle.
“I will try to play more abroad this year since China lifted its COVID restrictions. I believe I will get back to Augusta one day soon.”
Augusta National looks unrecognisable as Phil Mickelson tells incredible story of how staff get course Masters-ready
