Video: Guan Picks Up The Pace, Almost Makes An Ace
/Ryan Lavner on 14-year-old amateur Tianlang Guan's opening 72 which included a hybrid on 17 that finished a foot from the hole.
There was also noticeably faster pace of play.
And clearly, Guan has made a concerted effort to pick up the pace, perhaps stung by the criticism.
On Thursday, he was almost always the first to walk off the tee box or approach the green.
When he used the restroom between Nos. 5 and 6, he jogged back to the tee so as not to give the appearance that he was lagging behind. Never mind that the group ahead was still in the fairway. His threesome played in 5 hours, 10 minutes.
“He’s not fast, but it was not an issue at all,” said Henrik Norlander, the third player in Guan’s group. “We couldn’t go anywhere. We waited most of the day. I’m sure he learned something at the Masters to speed up a little bit. But it’s tough for him too, because he’s hitting first into every green.”
