Saturday, December 14, 2013
Posted by Unknown
No comments | 6:19 AM
Guan Tianlang is out on the driving range in Fanling belting balls under the watchful eye of his dad, Guan Hanwen. China's teenage prodigy who created a stir at the US Masters this year when he became the youngest competitor at 14 years, six months and then made the cut - is hard at practice.
The 15-year-old had missed the cut at last week's Hong Kong Open, but had stayed on with his parents, to enjoy a little bit of the city away from the public glare back home in Guangzhou now that he is being talked about as the Tiger Woods of China.
His dad scoffs at that. "My son has achieved more than what Tiger did when he was at the same age. Yes, Tianlang idolises Tiger, but he wants to walk his own path and achieve his own goals, and not follow Tiger," says Hanwen.
Hard to argue with that, for Tiger wasn't making the cut at the US Masters when he was 14, nor did he qualify and compete in an international tour event at the age of 13, as Guan did when he made it to the Volvo China Open in 2012.
Eyebrows have been raised at Guan's emergence. Critics say it is a crime that parents push their children at such a young age into the harsh world of golf. Guan, now 15, is still an amateur, but he is being treated as a professional, and is being hailed as China's next big sporting star.
He has more than two million followers on weibo account and his face is recognised by millions on the mainland.
How does he cope with all this adulation? With confidence, says a proud father.
"He is mentally strong. For someone who is so young, he has an amazing will," says Hanwen. "We never push him to do anything. He always does things at his own pace."
Hanwen and wife Jenny say they will never pressure their son, especially on the burning question of when he should turn professional.
"There is no timeline. We will allow him to develop his game and allow him to make up his own mind. He will want to turn pro when he knows he has the chance and capability to win," Hanwen said. "We as parents will never push him. It is his decision to make."
Tiger Woods turned professional only when he was 20. He never played in a professional event until he was 16 and didn't particularly excel, never contending as an amateur. But he won three consecutive US Junior Amateur titles and then three straight US Amateurs. He learned how to win before making the jump to pro golf.
While Guan wants to tread his own path, perhaps he might take a leaf out of Tiger's book when it comes to turning professional. But the temptation will mount.
Hanwen recounts, almost with relish, the pressures Guan faced at Augusta and how he overcame them.
"There was so much criticism in the American media when my son turned up. They all questioned his presence at the Masters and said no way was he going to make the cut."
But Guan quickly silenced the doubters, even going so far as earning a tribute from the legendary Gary Player, who said: "I thought Guan would score 81, 82 but I wouldn't have been surprised by a 90 because this course is such a monster.
"The greatest thing I have seen in golf was Tiger Woods winning a grand slam at 24, but Guan's performance is the second best I have seen."
Hanwen said: "What matters is that he enjoys playing golf. It is important in life to do something you enjoy and Tianlang loves playing golf. And I know he has set high goals. At the press conference after his Masters had ended, he told the world's media, 'One day I want to win all the grand slams ... in one year'. Everyone was amazed at his confidence."
Hanwen, a doctor, introduced Guan to golf at the age of four. "I used to play golf as a pastime and he used to come with me to the driving range where he picked up clubs and tried to imitate me and I encouraged him. It was when he was seven that I knew he had some talent."
Soon Guan was excelling, winning age group events. At 12 he was representing China at the Junior World Team Championship. He began spreading his wings and playing in amateur events in China, winning them with ease. At 13, he appeared for the first time in the country's national open.
Last year, in November, his meteoric rise attained warp speed when he won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship to qualify for this year's US Masters.
"Suddenly, we had the world's media on our doorstep. CBS, ESPN and other television stations sent their reporters to Guangzhou. They followed him to school and back. They all wanted to know more about him," said the proud dad.
So did the rest of China. He had a growing army of fans and followers on social media. He handled the pressure well, showing the aplomb and poise of someone much older.
"Tianlang cares too much about golf to be affected by all this external pressure. I think this mental strength is in his DNA," Hanwen laughs. "In Augusta, he had large galleries every day and there were many celebrities following him. One day Michael Phelps was in the crowd. The good thing is that he has taken all this in his stride. He hasn't been affected by all the adulation and attention. He is still the same. Nothing has changed."
Guan is casually dispatching the ball 250 yards into the distance. He goes about it with robotic perfection, lining up his shots and then with a smooth swing watching them sail in the early-morning Fanling air. He is still growing - he stands at 1.75 metres - and it won't be long before he will be smacking it another 40 or 50 yards.
"His first love is basketball. He plays it all the time with his classmates. He even has a pair of shoes autographed by Kobe Bryant. But golf is a passion. He feels there is so much to be achieved," Hanwen said.
But first the parents insist Guan finishes his studies.
"The Chinese have a saying that the 'son has to thank the father' but I have to thank him too, for all the happiness he has given me. I'm proud because of not what he has achieved at this tender age, but because of his attitude and the respect he has for the game," says Hanwen as he takes off his misted glasses and wipes them.
It is not because of the morning dew in the air, but instead because the dad believes his son has the makings of a true champion, on and off the course.
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