Chinese prodigy Guan Tianlang answered questions about his readiness to play his first Masters at the record-setting age of 14 when he gave two-times champion Ben Crenshaw a putting lesson at the 18th hole at Augusta National on Monday.
And he was not done, heading out at the end of the day with his idol, Tiger Woods, for nine more holes and taking time for some fun trying to skip balls across the pond at the par-three 16th with Woods and Dustin Johnson.
The 61-year-old Crenshaw, whose career was built on his ability as a putter, mentored the precocious Chinese during their practice round, advising the Asia-Pacific Amateur champion about the notoriously fast, sloping greens of Augusta.
At the 18th, the slightly built Guan hit his approach to the back of the green with the pin on the lower level down front.
Crenshaw stood behind Guan as they looked the putt over and with his longtime caddie Carl Jackson pointed out the line to the hole.
Guan gestured well left of the cup, but tried the line advised by Crenshaw. Hitting the putt ever so gently, the ball barely reached the slope and trickled down, gained speed and rolled about eight feet past the hole.
Then Guan came back and tried it his way. – Reuters
