Masters’ statement on Guan’s 1-stroke penalty

AUGUSTA, GA. (AP) - Guan Tianlang, the14-year-old Chinese golfer and the youngest competitor to ever play in the Masters, was assessed a one-stroke penalty for slow play in Friday’s second round. The Masters follows the Rules of Golf as written by the U.S. Golf Association and the Royal & Ancient. Like all tournament committees the Masters can supplement those with local rules. Below is the Masters’ statement on Guan’s penalty:

“Guan was assessed a one-shot penalty for violation of Rule 6-7 of the Rules of Golf and the Tournament’s Pace of Play Policy. His group, which included Ben Crenshaw and Matteo Manassero, was deemed out of position on No. 10. Guan began being timed on Hole 12 and received his first warning on Hole 13 after his second shot. In keeping with the applicable rules, he was penalized following his 2nd shot on the 17th hole when he again exceeded the 40 second time limit by a considerable margin,” Fred Ridley, competition committees chairman at the Masters.