12-year-old Ye Wocheng set to smash age record in golf

Twelve-year-old Ye Wocheng is set to rip Guan Tianlang’s record when he tees off at the Volvo China Open in two weeks’ time.

 

BEIJING: China’s Guan Tianlang astonished the world when he made the Masters cut at the age of 14, but his record as the European Tour’s youngest ever player is set to be ripped up by a boy aged only 12.

In two weeks’ time, Ye Wocheng, a precocious pre-teen from the country’s southern region, will lower Tianlang’s record to scarcely believable territory when he tees off at the Volvo China Open, organisers confirmed yesterday.

It comes just a year after Tianlang played the same event in Tianjin aged 13 and 177 days. He followed that with a bravura performance last week at Augusta National, finishing with the Silver Cup as the Masters’ top-placed amateur.

Should Wocheng make the cut, he will easily outdo Hong Kong’s Jason Hak, who became the youngest player to reach the weekend rounds of a European Tour event, aged 14 and 304 days, at the 2008 Hong Kong Open.

In Tianjin, Wocheng will compete for the spotlight with a group of ultra-young Chinese players, including Tianlang and Andy Zhang, who became the youngest US Open competitor last year at the age of 14.

Bai Zhengkai, 15, is also in the field, thanks to his victory in last year’s Volvo China Junior Match Play Championship, as is America’s Jim Liu, who in 2010 became the youngest US Junior Amateur champion at the age of 14.

They will come up against a strong contingent of seasoned pros at the joint European Tour and OneAsia event, headed by former winner Paul Casey, India’s Jeev Milkha Singh and 2014 Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley.

“I’m especially looking forward to seeing how young Ye Wocheng gets on, and I know that there are plenty of other youngsters who are soon going to be household names,” McGinley said in a press release from organisers.

Liang Wenchong, 34, one of only two Chinese men to win on the European Tour and his country’s top-ranked player at 170, said the new talent would pose a genuine threat in the May 2-5 tournament at Tianjin Binhai Lake Golf Club.

“Obviously I would love to win my own national Open, but I know the challenge is getting ever greater as our home-grown talent is improving all the time,” said Liang.

Wocheng, from Dongguan near Hong Kong, earned his spot by winning a qualifying tournament in March, while Tianlang and Zhang are both playing on sponsor’s invites. — AFP

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A star in the making: Guan Tianlang in action during  the second round of the Masters at Augusta on Friday. —AFP

CHINESE schoolboy Guan Tianlang rocked the golfing world on Friday by making the cut at the 77th Masters despite being penalised one shot for slow play in the second round.

But he needed to endure an agonising wait of several hours until the final grouping came in to be sure that he had survived.

The 14-year-old from Guangzhou, who is the youngest player in Masters history, was sanctioned as he played the 17th hole. That meant he came in with a three-over par 75 and stood at four-over 148 after 36 holes.

Making the cut were the top 50 and level plus all players within 10 strokes and with the halfway lead later established at six-under 138, Tianlang was safely through, right on the limit, to play at the weekend.

He will be the youngest to play on Saturday and Sunday at the Masters and he is the first player from mainland China to make the cut in the year’s first Major.

Tianlang is also certain to win the Silver Cup, which goes to the top amateur who completes 72 holes, as his five amateur rivals all failed to make the cut.

The Asian prodigy became the youngest player in the history of the Masters on Thursday when he carded a one-over 73 that included four birdies and five bogeys.

On Friday, he dropped two shots at the fourth and seventh, as heavy rain fell on Augusta National, to reach the turn in 38.

But with the weather brightening, he then calmly picked his way around the fearful Amen Corner – holes 11, 12 and 13 – without dropping a stroke.

He was parring his way in from there when referee John Paramor walked onto the course after Tianlang had played his second shot and informed him of the penalty sanction, having warned him already on the 13th hole.

“I played pretty good today,” said Tianlang speaking after his round, but before he knew he had made the cut. “I know the rules pretty good. This is what they can do.”

Tianlang became the first player punished for slow play in a Major since Frenchman Gregory Bourdy at the 2010 PGA Championship.

“This still is a wonderful experience for me,” Tianlang said. “I have enjoyed playing in the Masters and I think I did a pretty good job.”

Playing partner Matteo Manassero said he had sympathy with Tianlang given the gusting winds that affected Augusta National on Friday, but he agreed that the Chinese youngster had been slow to play.

“I think it’s the biggest thing he needs to be careful about, because I think he’s ready,” the Italian said.

“When the caddie pulls the club for him, I think he’s ready. But he just sometimes ... takes a little too long. He just asks questions that I think he knows, as well, but just to be sure, just to be clear in his mind.

“This certainly will be a very valuable lesson. He will never forget it for sure, and he will learn from it.”

The leader at the halfway stage, Australian Justin Day, said he had been unaware that he could have eliminated Tianlang had he birdied one of the last two holes as that would have nudged him out of the 10-stroke zone.

Making the cut at such a high-pressure tournament at the age of 14 was beyond belief, he added.

“He’s 14 years old. He’s got everything to gain and nothing to lose, because he’s got a lot of growing to do. He’s still in school.

“Obviously it’s an amazing achievement to get to the weekend at Augusta. And being able to play and experience what he’s going to experience on the weekend, you can’t buy that stuff.

“The only way you can do that is get to the weekend, and obviously he’s got a boatload of talent.

“You know, he’s been here preparing for two weeks. I talked to him earlier, and he seems like a really, really good kid.

“It’s unfortunate that he received the penalty, but he can learn from that and move on and hopefully can play well over the next two days.” — AFP

U.S.-AUGUSTA-GOLF-2013 MASTERS-GUAN TIANLANG China's Guan Tianlang (Front, R) competes during the second round of the 2013 Masters golf tournament at the Augusta National Golf Club in Augusta, Georgia, the United States, April 12, 2013. Guan shot a three-over par 75 Friday and stood at four-over 148 after 36 holes. (Xinhua/Hunter Martin/Augusta National) 

The 14-year-old Chinese golfer Guan Tianlang, the youngest player ever to compete in Masters, impressed the 77-year-old tournament with a 1-over 73 show on Thursday. Not the best, but good enough.

Guan was also the youngest Major tournament participant in 148 years. Catching four birdies in the 18-hole competition, the schoolboy won the cheer and applause from all around the field.

"It's the most amazing experience I've ever had," said Guan. "I was a little bit shaky at the beginning, but a good first shot erased my nervousness.

"I feel OK for my day. I made no big mistake and hit a couple of birdies. It feels like victory already."

Guan did better than golf legend Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus when they made their first Masters show (both finished at the score of 76), according to ESPN stats. His 1-over 73 was also better than the first two top Chinese golfers to have played at Masters, Zhang Lianwei (2004 tournament, 77) and Liang Wenchong (2008 tournament, 76).

If Guan finished at the same ranking as Thursday's 46th, he would become the youngest golfer and first Chinese to advance into the second round at Masters.

Spanish star Sergio Garcia shared the lead with Marc Leishman of Australia at 6-under 66. Tiger Woods finished 2-under 70.

"I won't put on too much pressure tomorrow," Guan said. "I will keep relaxing as today and focus on every hit."

"I will be happy if I make the cut," he added.

With the title of Asia-Pacific Amateur Golf Championship he earned last November, Guan qualified as the youngest competitor in the history of the Masters. The previous record was established by Matteo Manassero in 2010, when the 16-year-old earned an invitation after winning the British Amateur Championship in 2009.

Actually Manassero was one of the playing partners for Guan, the other was 61-year-old Ben Crenshaw.
"He played like a veteran today," said the impressed Crenshaw. "Played a beautiful round of golf."

Guan arrived at the court almost a month before the tournament, he enjoyed his practice with golf stars including Tiger Woods, Tom Watson and Ben Crenshaw.

"I was happy to practice with Tiger," said Guan, who picked up golf at the age of four. "Actually my golf career partly started because of him. He is my idol."

Guan was already expected to become "Chinese Tiger" or "Asian Tiger" , but there are still a lot of question marks before the junior middle school student can decide his future.

"Always focus and have fun," said Guan. 

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Facebook paparazzi

People should exercise a little consideration and common sense when uploading photos of others. 

I RECENTLY saw some extremely unflattering photos of a friend on Facebook.

One photo shows her at a party with a drink in one hand and a cocktail sausage on a stick in the other. Her mouth is half open as she guides the sausage towards it, and her eyes have a wild, glazed look about them. The caption reads, “Come to Mama!” In another photo, she’s drinking her wine with one eye closed and the other rolling upwards, as she hovers around the half empty platter of sausages. In yet another photo, she’s sitting on a sofa with her blouse unflatteringly bunched up over her stomach, giving the impression that she’s just about to give birth – possibly to a giant sausage.

If you didn’t know this woman, you’d probably mistake her for a humongous wine-glugging sausage scoffer.

Damage

In reality, she’s a moderate drinker of average weight who only ate one sausage that night. But the damage has already been done. The Facebook friends of the woman who posted the photos, many of whom probably don’t know my friend all that well, will have already formed an opinion of my friend just by looking at those photos.

Like who cares what strangers might think about us? Some of you might be saying just about now. And you do have a point, to a certain extent. But what if you’re going for a job interview and the person responsible for hiring you doesn’t know you but remembers seeing you in a Facebook photo stuffing your face and looking as if you like to lubricate yourself way too much? And what if the job you’re after entails operating heavy, dangerous machinery; or dispensing potent medication; or anything to do with air traffic control? Jobs that require a clear head at all times.

All I can say is that you’re screwed. You might as well burn your interview clothes, delete the carefully worded résumé and drown your sorrows in a bottle of chardonnay.

In the same way that celebrities are wary of the paparazzi, who take great pleasure in snapping them falling out of bars and nightclubs in the wee hours of the morning in a dishevelled state, or going to the grocery store for a loaf of bread without any make-up, regular, everyday people now need to be extra careful when someone whips out a camera or an iPhone at a social function.

I have nothing against my photo being taken and subsequently being posted on Facebook, but I wish that people would exercise some consideration and common sense when uploading photos of others.

We all know Facebook is full of narcissistic, egocentric, self-absorbed photographers. We see evidence of their activities in newsfeeds every day. For example, I’ve seen photos of a certain young woman (who shall remain nameless) buying a pair of shoes, photos of her feet in the new shoes, photos of her wearing a dress with her new shoes, photos of her dancing at a party with her new shoes, and photos of her delicately eating sausages and consuming alcohol with her new shoes.

What she doesn’t show you are the photos of her wincing in her bunion-forming shoes after two minutes dancing, photos of her in her new shoes throwing up in the toilet bowl, and photos of her with just one new shoe on, passed out on her bedroom floor …

Such people are usually very careful when it comes to selecting photos that show them in a good light, but when it comes to others, they don’t always accord them the same respect.

Offending photo

Whenever I want to upload a photo that includes other people onto Facebook, I ask myself if those people would be happy seeing themselves as they are depicted. And if the answer is no, I simply delete it. I know it’s easy to remove your tag from a Facebook photo, but the photo still remains online for all to see.

Of course, you could write to your Facebook friend and ask him or her to remove an offending photo. But that would make you sound a bit like a narcissistic, egocentric, self-absorbed twat. And makes you a possible future target for such photographers, who might claim that they’re only having a bit of harmless fun. And besides, where’s your sense of humour?

It would be enough to make you choke on your sausage.

BUT THEN AGAIN
By MARY SCHNEIDER

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N. Korea under restraint by China

China knows when to mount pressure on the DPRK and tell its ally what to do for the sake of its Asian neighbours’ interests in the region, say Chinese political analysts.

North Korea nuclear weapons could hit ....

TALKS that China has lost its influence on North Korea have emerged again as the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK) is reported to be ready to launch a missiles attack on the Korean Peninsula.

The standard calm reaction and seemingly lack of action against DPRK by China have been the reasons why the international community feels that the China factor in the DPRK administration is fading.

But, China is not a country that one should underestimate. China knows when to mount pressure on DPRK and tell its ally what to do for the sake of its Asian neighbours’ interests in the region, said Chinese political analysts.

Historically, China and DPRK established solid strategic relations and partnership when the former entered the Korean War in support of DPRK in 1950.

During the war between 1950 and 1953, China sent as many as three million volunteer soldiers to assist the DPRK forces fight the Americans and South Koreans in the name of United Nations on the peninsula.

About 180,000 Chinese soldiers, including Mao Zedong’s son Mao Anying, were killed.

Since the end of the war, China and DPRK have continued their cooperation in security and defence issues. But in recent years, China has turned more of a peacemaker instead when tension occurs between North and South Korea.

In the Takung Pao newspaper’s editorial, veteran political analyst and The International Chinese Newsweekly correspondent Ji Shuoming said DPRK intentionally flexed its muscles to wage war in retaliation of a recent joint South Korea-United States military exercise.

He said the tension on the peninsula had been escalating with the North Koreans telling ambassadors, diplomats and tourists in South Korea to evacuate, as their forces were prepared to launch their missiles.

“At the UN Security Council meeting (in March), in a rare decision, China voted in favour of new sanctions on North Korea in view of its nuclear weapon tests. This has somehow caused North Korea’s hostility against China.

“North Korea is going too far by dragging itself to the edge of a war. The US, South Korea and Japan hope that China will restrain North Korea but some people say China has not been able to restrain North Korea anymore.

The Chinese leaders and the Chinese Communist Party-run newspaper recently sent out a clear message to North Korea, and this shows that China still has a degree of influence over North Korea,” he said.

Ji said that in past conflicts, China would talk about brotherhood and defend North Korea and this had made its ally a spoiled kid and had made it difficult to fundamentally solve the problem.

Today, China has chosen a more international approach. When North Korea goes against the international regulations, China will firmly safeguard the international interests. But this does not mean that China has lost its influence and it’s just that it is assessing the pros and cons of the influence, Ji added.

Nankai University International Relations Department Associate Prof Yang Lei was quoted by Global Times as saying that in the past, North Korea employed the approach of causing tension and then implying the possibility of dialogue and negotiation after achieving its target.

“North Korea continuously escalates its offensive rhetoric to draw the attention of the international community. It hopes that surrounding countries can get involved and provide a way to ease the situation,” he said.

He said China was adjusting its policy on North Korea according to the changing US and South Korean policies on North Korea but China could still continue to impose necessary sanctions on North Korea to make its ally aware of the importance of outside help and the strategic Chinese support.

“Such pressure should push North Korea to ease relations with South Korea.

“Then the next step for China is to persuade North Korea and South Korea to hold dialogue and offer North Korea a way out,” he said.

In its editorial, China Daily said the situation on the peninsula was dangerous and any miscalculation by any party might prove disastrous to the region.

The newspaper said Pyongyang might have adequate reasons to demonstrate its security concerns that was entitled to enhance its national defence and develop its science and technology, but it had no excuse either to defy the UN resolution requiring it to drop its nuclear programme.

“The tactic (employed by North Norea) is dangerous ... As a close neighbour of the two Koreas, China will not allow troublemaking at its doorstep.

“The message is loud and clear that it opposes any move to resolve the dispute by force,” it said.

MADE IN CHINA By CHOW HOW BAN

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Looming danger on contrast and competition of economic models

The successful East Asian model of ‘state-driven capitalism’ is being threatened by TPPA proposals.

The Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) is a secretive, multi-national trade agreement that threatens to extend restrictive intellectual property (IP) laws across the globe and rewrite international rules on its enforcement.

MANY articles and books have been published on the contrast and competition between the present Western and the Asian-style economic models.

Western countries are said to have the free-market model based on competition among private firms, with the government taking a hands-off approach.

East Asian countries are branded as practising “state capitalism” in which the government plays a major role in helping the local private sector and the state also fully or partially owns many enterprises.

The Western countries are increasingly attacking the Asian model, claiming that state-owned companies or state-aided commercial firms have an unfair advantage vis-à-vis foreign firms competing with them.

In our region, countries with a substantial role of the state include China, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore. Of course, in Japan and South Korea, their domestic firms grew to become world-beaters with the systematic backing of their governments.

For these countries, the so-called state capitalism (or in the case of socialist countries, market-oriented socialism) have worked well through industrial development and relatively high and sustained economic growth.

Some Western countries have been trying to curb or even eventually eliminate the Asian model of state-owned or state-aided capitalism.

This is largely hypocritical because the America, European and Japanese agricultural sectors are highly subsidised and protected; many of their farms could not survive without massive state aid and high import tariffs.

Many of their banks and industrial firms are also subsidised in various ways, including through multi-billion dollar bailouts in the wake of the recent financial crises.

This has not stopped these countries from attacking the Asian model. The latest attempt to curb this model is through the negotiations in the Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement (TPPA), a trade and investment treaty involving the United States, Canada, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei, Peru, Chile, Australia and New Zealand.

The TPPA contains an important section on State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs), championed by the United States and Australia.

The TPPA drafts are secret, so the text of the SOE section is not known. However, it can be anticipated that the section will contain disciplines to curb and shape the behaviour of three types of SOEs.

The recently concluded US bilateral FTAs contain a competition chapter that deals with two types of SOEs. For example, the US-Peru FTA has disciplines on designated monopolies and state enterprises, and it is likely that the United States will propose something similar in the TPPA.

That FTA says that government monopolies shall act solely in accordance with commercial considerations, including with regard to price, quality, availability, transportation, when buying or selling the monopoly goods or services.

They shall provide non-discriminatory treatment to investments, goods and services of other TPPA members. And they shall not use their monopoly position to engage in anti-competitive practices through its dealings with its parents, subsidiaries or other enterprises with common ownership in a non-monopolised market that adversely affect the investments of other countries.

State enterprises shall similarly provide non-discriminatory treatment in the sale of goods or services to investments of other countries.

More importantly, the United States and Australia are proposing a third type of SOE to be subject to disciplines. According to press reports, Australia has also introduced the principle of “competitive neutrality” to discipline the SOEs.

How this principle will apply can be anticipated from the Australian government’s competitive neutrality guidelines.

This is based on the concept of a “government-owned business”. The state-owned business enterprise which competes with private companies may obtain advantages, impeding the ability of the private sector to compete on equal terms.

According to the Australian guidelines, these advantages include exemptions from taxes; cheaper debt financing (because of the low-risk classification or government guarantees); absence of need to make a commercial rate of return; and exemption from regulatory constraints or costs.

To offset these advantages, the Australian guidelines cover how government businesses should pay taxes in full; pay back to the central government the difference in their loan costs vis-à-vis private sector loan costs; pay licence fees equivalent to the central government; and ensure they obtain a commercial rate of return.

It is likely therefore that the draft of the TPPA will have disciplines along the lines above on a third category of SOEs, government-linked business entities involved in commercial activities that compete with the private sector.

The proposed disciplines could be along the line that “advantages” enjoyed by government-linked businesses such as those mentioned in the Australian guidelines be disallowed.

The implications for Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore would be serious because their national economies are characterised by important roles of state-owned enterprises or government-linked companies.

The countries would have to move away from their successful development model and economic structure.

Moreover, SOEs have many functions including providing social services to the public, ensuring that poor and vulnerable groups are given special consideration.

This often means that SOEs cannot operate on solely commercial grounds; and that several of them depend on government subsidies and assistance, and there are also cross-subsidies in that the profitable aspect of an SOE may finance non-profitable (but socially important) activities. There is a danger that the TPPA section on SOEs will prevent or hinder the socially useful functions of SOEs.

The TPPA negotiations are still going on, and a text on the SOEs section is not yet final, so there is scope for different views to be expressed.

GLOBAL TRENDS By MARTIN KHOR

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