Sunday
Nov042012
"Is Augusta National doing the right thing having events that qualify 14 year olds into the event?"
That's the question Steve Elkington posed on Twitter and after reading your many observations on the original post about Tianlang Guan's stunning Asia Pacific Amateur win, I think it's a question worth pondering.
And not to take away from Guan's stellar play or that of the kids (Zhang, Hossler) who contended at this year's U.S. Open, but maybe the broader questions should be: what is allowing people to play the game so much better at a younger age and is that a good thing?
Either way, Guan is setting lofty goals for himself!
Update on Monday, November 5, 2012 at 08:28 AM by
Geoff
Geoff
**Steve Elkington adds this cartoon to memoralize the historic moment.
Reader Comments (26)
Posted this a few minutes ago in the other thread:
So this Asian Amateur Championship, how strong (or weak) is the field? What's required to enter?
What with a Masters spot going to a 14 year old I can envision a scenario where wealthy parents from other parts of the world send their kid over to take a shot. Does anyone think this kid could have won the US Amateur with the game he has right now? Not saying he couldn't, just curious as I have no idea how good he really is (or isn't).
Come to think of it, it would not be a stretch to see Lydia Ko win this thing, and she would be eligible to play as a New Zealander.
She dusted a major-caliber LPGA field at at event that was considered an LPGA major up until 10 years ago.
Is there a women's bathroom up near the Crow's Nest? Get ready.
It would seem that the forgiving drivers of 2012 are another facet of their game.
Like everyone playing in augusta he dreams about winning the major. So whats wrong with that?
There have always been golf phenoms at an early age, Jones , Nicklaus, Woods.....Young Tom Morris.
I suppose Augusta could have slapped on an age limit but then, I don't imagine they saw this coming. As far I'm aware, I don't think they have a crystal ball either! The game has moved on very swiftly in that part of the world with seemingly different cultural attitudes in the way they raise their children. Although, having said that perhaps not so different as I am now seeing even in the UK juniors competing at senior level and winning.
Oliver Goss couldn't keep pace with Guan Tianlang last weekend.
I think we should be excited by a 14 yr old qualifying for the Masters-not trying to decry his acheivement.I think its brilliant.
He's not taking anybody else's spot in the event-this is a new exemption.
Also-cut him a little bit of slack-he is a 14 yr old that has just won a huge event with a great score-so what if he says he wants to win the US Masters-he was bound to be a bit excited,surely?!
Masters field is plenty strong enough, btw. And past champions should be welcome as long as they can take the embarrassment of the first hole being a 3-shotter.
The age has been raised in recent years, but a 15-year-old girl can still compete in the Olympics. (She has to be turning 16 during the year of Olympics)
That means they are training HARD when they are as young as 11. Worse, they carry the expectations of a nation on their shoulders.
Playing a little invitational tournament in Augusta next spring is a piece of cake compared to that.
The juniors who aren't doing these kinds of things are being toured in AJGA events in hopes of getting a college scholarship. It's one thing or another.
K
He also won Georgia State Amateur and the Cherokee Invitational in Knoxville Tennessee in 1916, at the age of 14.
He finished second in 1919 US Amateur at age 17 after WWI.
Looks like Bobby Jones played in his first US Open in 1920, at age 18, and finished T8.
Age alone is not the deal except if you are the older pro who gets left out, but that's golf/life.