13-Year-Old To Make Euro Tour Start!

An unbylined European Tour story says Guan Tian-lang will tee it up in this week's Volvo China Open at Tianjin Binhai Lake Golf Club, making him the youngest ever to play in a European Tour event.

Guan Tian-lang will make history this week when he tees off in the 18th Volvo China Open at Tianjin Binhai Lake Golf Club as the youngest player to compete in a European Tour event, aged 13 years and 173 days.

Guan, the current World Junior Champion for his age group, will beat the record of Lo Shik-kai, who was 13 years and 280 days in the 2003 Hong Kong Open.

The talented teenager earned his place in the elite 156-man field in Tianjin by virtue of finishing fourth in the mid-China qualifying event in Hangzhou three weeks ago. Guan thought he had failed in his dream for a place in his national Open after narrowly missing out in a two-hole play-off for the third and final qualifying spot.

However, the China Golf Association then announced its list of exempt players to the event, including Wu Kang-chun, winner of the mid-China qualifier in which Guan just missed out. That meant Guan moved up one place and into the Volvo China Open.

And he's confident...

“I really couldn’t be happier – I’m so excited right now,” said Guangzhou-born Guan. “I was really disappointed to lose out in the play-off and I thought I’d blown a great chance to make history, but then to find out I’m actually going to play is like a dream come true.

“My goal now is to be the youngest player ever to make the cut in a European Tour event, and I think if I can shoot level par or better I’ll have a good chance to do that.”