One of a Kind

This was one instance that I was delighted to be wrong.

Three weeks before The Masters got underway, I interviewed Guan Tian-lang at Mission Hills, across the border in Shenzhen, where he received a special achievement award from Sir Nick Faldo. Guan had, the previous year, claimed low Chinese honours at the Englishman's highly rated Faldo Series Asia Grand Final and, alongside six-time major champion, was happy to be interviewed by an ensemble of local press.

While there was no doubting Guan's amateur credentials – he had won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship to earn her berth at Augusta – there was a strong feeling that his place among the world's elite was little more than ceremonial – and thus inconsequential . Most, myself included, figured this 14-year-old would fail to get anywhere near the cut-line; if he could somehow break 80 over the two rounds that would represent something of an achievement.

This wasn't necessarily journalists being mean spirited. History – and the stats –were truly weighted against him.

Just by turning up he was going to be the youngest player ever to tee it up at Augusta – beating Matteo Manassero's record by nearly two years – but, more importantly, he averaged a mere 250 yards off the tee. While that may be long enough to handle the courses that are set up for amateur events, there's no way in hell a kid can take that lack of firepower and expect to fare well over the historic Alistair McKenzie course that hosts the first major of the year. No way. It simply doesn't happen.

Ha! What everyone – again, myself included – didn't acknowledge were the twin facets that propelled Guan into the global golfing limelight: his gritty determination and his awe-inspiringly stupendous short game.

Guangzhou-born Guan, as we all know now, became a star with a performance that still to this day beggars belief. He proved everyone – apart from himself – wrong.

He finished the week without a double bogey, and never had a three-putt.

With a 75 on Sunday, he finished the tournament at 12-over 300 – maybe not a threat to the leaders, but a score that earned him the lowest scoring amateur prize, and more importantly, the respect of millions of golf fans across the world. His peers that week – major champions and seasoned veterans alike – are still shaking their heads at his performance in the face of adversity. Guan, hyperbole in check, is truly one of a kind.