Guan in danger of missing cut after penalty

Augusta, GA – Tianlang Guan was the talk of the Masters after an impressive start, but he is in danger of missing the cut due in part to a 1-stroke penalty for slow play during a lackluster second round.

Guan, who is the youngest-ever player to start the Masters at 14 years old, followed his opening-round 73 with a 75 on Friday for a two-day total of 4- over, which places him right on the projected cut line.

He would have carded a 2-over on Friday, but he was assessed a 1-stroke penalty by course officials for slow play.

He is the first player to be assessed a penalty for slow play on the PGA Tour since Glen Day at the 1995 Honda Classic.

"He's been slow. It's just sometimes he had the right club, his caddy pulled the right club for him and he was sure, but to be clear in his mind he was asking one more extra question," said playing partner Matteo Manassero, who previously held the record for the youngest player at the Masters at 16.

If Guan is able to hang on and advance to the weekend, he will add another record to his short career by replacing Bob Panasik as the youngest player to make a cut on the PGA Tour.

Panasik made the cut at the 1957 Canadian Open when he was 15.

Guan guided his way through an up-and-down first round by countering five bogeys with four birdies, but failed to record a single birdie during his second round.

The China native was able to roll in 15 pars during his second round, including a streak of nine straight starting at the eighth hole.

He would have kept the streak alive while on the 17th, but it was there that he was informed by an official about the penalty, which resulted in a bogey at the hole.

"At the 17th I just got my second bad time because today's weather is not that good. The winds switched a lot, so I just had to change my club and I went over like 15 seconds," Guan said about why he was penalized. "I respect their decision."

He then closed with a par to remain 4-over.

Guan, however, is in contention to post the lowest score by an amateur at this year's Masters.

His closest competition for the silver cup is Steven Fox, who is at 5-over and is currently on the course.

Fox is followed by T.J. Vogel, Michael Weaver, Nathan T. Smith and Alan Dunbar.

Vogel and Smith are the other amateurs to have not finished their second rounds and sit at 7- and 9-over, respectively.