FALDO ADVISES CHINESE WONDER BOY TO STAY AN AMATEUR UNTIL 20 AT LEAST

FROM THE DAILY TELEGRAPH WEBSITE
By JAMES CORRIGAN 
Sir Nick Faldo has urged Guan Tianlang to wait to until he is “bored winning amateur events” before turning professional as the 14-year-old Chinese prepares to play his first regular US PGA Tour event in Louisiana on Thursday.

Sponsor's invite: China's Guan Tianlang, 14, play his first regular PGA Tour event in Louisiana on Thursday Photo: REUTERS

After stunning the game at The Masters two weeks ago in becoming the youngest player to make the cut in a major championship, Guan has accepted a sponsor’s invite to tee it up alongside the likes of Justin Rose at the Zurich New Orleans Classic.

Some may question the wisdom of a schoolboy playing against the elite professionals twice in three weeks, but Faldo is more concerned about the temptation to join them on a permanent basis.

“Sure, he can play Tour events,” Faldo said. “But I think he should stay an amateur. He needs to keep winning, to get bored winning because he’s just won everything in the amateur game. Then move over.

“He has growing to do – physically, mentally, all those things. Golf is a sport that we can view as a 20-year window competing at the highest level. Do you get started at 14 to go to 34? Or get started at 20 to go to 40? I think that’s the smartest thing.”

Faldo got to know Guan during a recent trip to Mission Hills, in China, where the teenager was awarded a trophy for his play on the Faldo Junior Series last year.

At the Masters, Guan led the putting stats and he and Lee Westwood were the only players who managed to avoid taking a three-putt.
Guan will likely require a similar week on the greens at TPC Louisiana if he is to achieve his objective and again make the weekend.
He averages a little over 250 yards off the tee, which makes him comfortably the shortest-hitting player in an event which as well as Rose, the world No 4, features Ernie Els, Bubba Watson and Keegan Bradley.
The tournament is being screened in China, with Faldo telling the US PGA Tour on Wednesday he has been waiting for this teenager to emerge.
“It’s what I said years ago about places like China – as soon as they get a hero, watch out. And now, my goodness, their hero is only 14-years-old.”