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Chinese amateur Guan Tianlang wins Asia-Pacific title to earn Augusta invite

Augusta bound: Guan Tianlang of China will make history when he competes in the 2013 Masters Tournament

A fourteen-year-old Chinese amateur will, next year, become the youngest-ever player to take part in The Masters after winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship.

Guan Tianlang completed a wire-to-wire win over the weekend in the prestigious international amateur event to earn an invitation to play in the first major of 2013 at Augusta National.

It is also believed that he will become the youngest male ever to play in a major championship. His compatriot Andy Zhang was 14 years and six months when he qualified for the US Open at The Olympic Club this year but Guan will be a month younger when he pitches up at Augusta.

“I’m really excited about it,” said the teenager. “I will be training a little bit harder and maybe have some more power for that because I’m still growing right now. It will be great fun.”

Guan shot to prominence earlier this year when he become the youngest golfer ever to compete in a European Tour event. Aged 13 years and 173 days, he teed up in the Volvo China Open but finished near the bottom of the leaderboard.

However, he has had a strong season on his domestic amateur circuit and becomes the first Chinese player to win the Asia-Pacific Amateur, created by Augusta National and the Royal & Ancient to help inspire growth in the emerging golf nations of Asia.

As well as invite to the Masters, Guan also earns a spot in the final stage of Open Championship qualifying. Even so, he isn’t looking beyond his first trip to Augusta just yet.

“I’m really happy to become the youngest player at the Masters and I’m looking forward to going there,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen there, but I know I just want to do well.”

Guan’s win rounds off what has already been a historic year for Augusta National. In August, it invited Condoleezza Rice and Darla Moore to become its first female members in the 80-plus years of the club.

 

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Bryce Ritchie is the Editor of bunkered and, in addition to leading on content and strategy, oversees all aspects of the brand. The first full-time journalist employed by bunkered, he joined the company in 2001 and has been editor since 2009. A member of Balfron Golfing Society, he currently plays off nine and once got a lesson from Justin Thomas’ dad.

Editor of bunkered

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