Traveling With Tianlang

Gene Wojciechowski travels from Somewhere Near Kunming, China to Augusta and back to trail Tianlang Guan on the way to Augusta for the 14-year-old's appearance this week.

It's long, but fun:

After his round (followed by a long session on the putting green), we meet for dinner in the resort dining room. I hand Tianlang a 2012 Masters Annual that I brought from home (Augusta National sends one each year to writers covering the tournament). He thumbs slowly through the pages, as if he's memorizing each photo, story, stat and yardage.

The dinner group includes Tianlang, his father, a media relations consultant from Hong Kong, our ESPN crew of five and a "fixer" (part interpreter, part problem-solver). There is probably someone else at the table, but I can't remember after the drink toasts.

I've never done shots of jet fuel, but if I did, I think it would taste like Chinese vodka. Mr. Guan keeps standing up and offering toasts. Our interpreter says it would be impolite and a loss of face for Mr. Guan if we don't take part.

So three or four shots later, I'm cracking wise, yukking it up to the Guans. That's when the interpreter leans over and says discreetly, "Mr. Guan does not understand your particular sense of humor."

There is a short video bit accompanying the book, err, piece: