What with Guan and countryman Wu Ashun's achievement in qualifying for this year's Open Championship, to be played at venerable Muirfield, a course that Faldo earned two of his three Claret Jugs on, the pressure on China's young players is growing. Guan, still looking ridiculously young but answering with increasing positivity, repeats that he's happy to be involved.
"I think Chinese golf is growing very fast,” says Guan. “Mr Faldo has seen it, right? I think there will be many great golfers in China in 10 or 15 years. Golf is interesting because you can’t play the same shot. Every time is different. So there is a lot of challenge.”
But what of the challenge of Augusta? Whatever Guan goes on to achieve in this game, the memories of becoming the youngest player in history to play in The Masters are sure to be lifelong, no matter what he shoots. Making the cut, like his Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship predecessor Hideki Matsuyama did on both of his Masters visits would be something truly special, something that could invigorate his nation's golf playing community.
We'll just have to wait and see. But we'll give the final world to Faldo, who shortly afterwards took Guan off for his own Masters preparation practice session on the juicy lawns of the Mission Hills driving range.
"I think he’ll be debriefing himself for about a month after because I don’t think he’ll be able to take it everything in,” says Faldo. “There will be little things that suddenly hit you. But from the whole experience, the most important thing will be to go and play the way you want to play. To be comfortable – that’s the number one goal.
"The bottom line is that everyone is nervous – I can promise you. The best players, even Tiger and whoever is world number one, every single player is extremely wound up. So just because you think 'Oh my goodness I feel nervous about being here' – don’t worry, I can promise you everybody is. People think that golfers don’t get nervous, but yes we do. It’s all about how you prepare yourself, and I think that’s the secret."
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