14-year-old Guan Tianlang to play the Memorial
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E-mail Shanghai Daily, May 22, 2013
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Fourteen-year-old golf phenom Guan to play Jack Nicklaus's Memorial Tournament. |
Chinese schoolboy Guan Tianlang, the youngest player in Masters history, will continue his dream run in US PGA events by playing in next week's Memorial tournament, organizers said on Monday.
The 14-year-old prodigy won the low amateur's Silver Cup last month at Augusta National and shared 58th at the Masters and followed up two weeks later by making the cut at finishing 71st at a PGA event in New Orleans.
Guan missed the cut at last week's Byron Nelson Championship but on Monday accepted a sponsor's exemption invitation into next week's event, which will be hosted by 18-time major champion Jack Nicklaus in Dublin, Ohio.
"I have had the fortunate pleasure of spending time with Guan and his family and I have found him to be mature beyond his years and very passionate about his development in the game," Nicklaus said. "The performance of this young 14-year-old - who, mind you, is just an eighth-grader - in making the cut at the Masters and then in New Orleans was fantastic."
Guan, a Guangzhou native who is rated 78th in the world amateur rankings, failed to qualify for the British Open and has not said whether or not he will try to qualify for next month's US Open.
"I am very excited to accept the invitation to play at the Memorial tournament," Guan said. "It is Jack Nicklaus' event, and I have a very high respect for Mr Nicklaus, not just as a golf legend but also as a great person.
"He has been actively involved in the development of golf in China, and junior golf development worldwide, and as a junior golfer myself I appreciate what he has done to help us grow."
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