Masters record-breaker Guan going for glory at q-school

China's Guan Tianlang will compete in this week's PGA Tour Series-China Chinese mainland qualifying tournament at Guangzhou's Foison Golf Club nearly seven years after becoming the youngest player to make a cut at a modern-era PGA Tour event.

In April 2013, Guan stunned the golf world when he made the cut at the Masters while still enrolled in middle school.

The Guangzhou native was just 14 years, 5 months and 18 days old when he qualified for the weekend. Guan still remains the youngest player to make a cut at any PGA Tour-sanctioned event, let alone the sport's most prestigious major.

Guan has had an impressive amateur career, bursting onto the scene by winning the 2012 Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship in Thailand to earn his Masters spot. Two weeks after making the cut at Augusta National, Guan also made the cut at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

After completing two years at the University of Arizona, Guan is aiming to win one of 15 full cards available for the 2020 PGA Tour Series-China season this week, while finishers between 16th and 45th, and ties, will be awarded conditional status.

"I've been training in China for the past few months, and I arrived here a bit earlier to play a few rounds and I feel like I'm ready now," said Guan. "It's just one tournament, and you just have to try and play your best. Hopefully I can have a good week and get one of the full cards."

The 21-year-old is still contemplating when－or even if－h(huán)e might turn pro should he earn a card when the 72-hole stroke-play event concludes on Friday.

"I'm still not yet decided on turning pro at the moment. I might turn pro but finish school. There are still a lot of options so I'm not sure yet. Maybe a good week this week might affect my decision," said Guan, who played alongside Liu Siyuan, the only female golfer in the field, on Tuesday.

PGA Tour Series-China veteran Bai Zhengkai chose the "finish school" route, turning pro last summer but remaining enrolled in college, at the University of Central Florida.

Foison also hosted the Chinese mainland qualifying tournament in 2019, with Jin Cheng winning by seven shots.

The first global q-school will begin next month at Mission Hills Resort Haikou, Hainan province, (Feb 25-28), followed by a tournament at Laguna Golf Phuket in Thailand (March 3-6). The 14-stop regular-season schedule will be announced shortly.

The PGA Tour established PGA Tour Series-China in 2014 as its third international tour, following in the footsteps of PGA Tour Latinoamerica and the Mackenzie Tour－PGA Tour Canada. Official World Golf Ranking points are up for grabs on the Chinese circuit.