Even the much discussed slow-penalty that nearly cost him the chance to play on the weekend couldn't spoil his fun.
"The whole week is great for me," Guan said. "I really enjoy it. I'm having fun, and hopefully I play some good golf."
Every day brought a new adventure for this Chinese wunderkind, and Sunday was no different. After making birdies on 13 and 16 — he missed another on 15 when his 3-foot putt skirted the low side of the hole — his tee shot on 17 landed in a spectator's bag of souvenirs.
"I heard the sound of the ball hitting plastic and looked down," said spectator Tom Lowndes, who was crossing the adjacent 15th fairway. "The ball was sitting right there on top of this hat."
Guan could only laugh when he saw his ball, smiling broadly as he reached into the bag to grab it. He consulted with a rules official – he's practically on a first-name basis with the whole crew after his slow play problems – and eventually took a drop a few yards back and out of the walkway. He went up and over the trees in front of him and landed in the fairway, but his third shot left him 20-plus feet short of the pin.
He got within two feet, and tapped in for a bogey.
"It's all right," he said. "A bogey (there) is not bad."
He two-putted from 40 feet to close out his first Masters with a par. Fans around the green gave him a standing ovation, and Guan waved his baseball cap in acknowledgment.
"I'm so happy, I'm so proud of him," said Guan's father, Han Wen, a doctor. "In front of so many patrons, at such a great tournament, he played his game and stayed calm. I believe he will come here many times."
That's possible. It isn't hard to see the polite teen as golf's next global icon. Fans were captivated by his precocious talent and calm maturity, and his baby face and sweetness – his mum packed his lunch all week – only added to his appeal.
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