Augusta: Chinese schoolboy Guan Tianlang rocked the golfing world by making the cut at the 77th Masters despite being penalised one shot for slow play in the second round.
But he needed to endure an agonising wait of several hours until the final grouping came in to be sure that he had survived.
The 14-year-old from Guangzhou, who is the youngest player in Masters history, was sanctioned as he played the 17th hole. That meant he came in with a three-over par 75 and stood at four-over 148 after 36 holes.
Making the cut were the top 50 and level plus all players within 10 strokes and with the halfway lead later established at six-under 138, Guan was safely through, right on the limit, to play at the weekend.
He will be the youngest to play third and fourth rounds at the Masters and he is the first player from mainland China to make the cut in the year’s first major. Guan is also certain to win the Silver Cup, which goes to the top amateur who completes 72 holes, as his five amateur rivals all failed to make the cut.
The Asian prodigy became the youngest player in the history of the Masters on Thursday when he carded a one-over 73 that included four birdies and five bogeys. REUTERS
