Augusta GA. – For 77 years, the Augusta National Golf Club did not allow female members.
On Friday, Augusta National Golf Club accused someone else of moving too slow.
In this case, it was a 14-year-old amateur from China who had become the best story of the first round.
On Thursday, Guan Tianlang shot a 73 as the youngest entrant ever, by more than two years, at the Masters. On Friday, he finished with a 75 after rules official John Paramor penalized him for slow play, evidently the first such penalty ever assessed during the Masters.
For most of the day, the penalty stroke threatened to send Guan home, but he made the cut by remaining within 10 shots of the leaders. At 14 years and 5 months old, Guan will become the youngest golfer by almost two years to make the cut at a major since 1900.
"I respect the decision they make," Guan said. "I think they should do it with respect to everybody."
Guan was penalized after Paramor warned him of slow play after the 10th hole. He was placed "on the clock" two holes later, meaning he was given 40 seconds to play each stroke. Paramor gave him his first warning on the 13th hole.
While there is little doubt that Guan violated the rule, he was the only player penalized on a day when many threesomes required 5½ hours or more to play 18 holes. Many players said that gauging the wind required extra time before every shot.
