IRVING, TEXAS (AP) - Guan Tianlang was constantly tossing grass up in the air trying to get a feel for the swirling winds. He was often shaking his head.
The 14-year-old amateur from China had a tough day with a 7-over 77 during a windy second round Friday at the Byron Nelson Championship. He will miss the cut and not play the weekend rounds.
” I just think I learned a lot in these two rounds and just didn’t play my best out there today, and I still learned a lot,” Guan said. “Still have a lot more to learn.”
Guan last month made the cut at the Masters and then again in New Orleans, becoming the youngest player ever to make the cut on the PGA Tour. But after an opening 70 at TPC Four Seasons, Guan struggled in the second round with two double bogeys, five bogeys and two birdies to match 77s he had in weekend rounds during his first two PGA Tour events.
“This is a good tour event, it won’t be that easy and I won’t make the cut every time,” said Guan, who wore a white Augusta National cap Friday with his bright green pants. “But I think I learned more and still a lot more to learn that help me play better and better.”
While never getting specific about what he learned, the eighth-grader said he was having “a little bit” of trouble gauging the wind.
“The wind sometimes was slowing, but the same to everybody,” he said.
Guan said he “probably” would stay in the United States to play more golf. He would only say that he had “a couple of invites” but wasn’t sure of his schedule.
There are U.S. Open sectional qualifiers on June 3. Among the qualifier sites are Dallas and Memphis, the latter where the PGA Tour plays that week.
After driving into the rough and then hitting into two bunkers for a double-bogey 6 at No. 12, his third hole Friday, Guan had a 19-foot birdie putt on the following par 3. He then had five consecutive bogeys.
Guan steadied himself on his second nine, with seven pars and a birdie before a finishing double bogey at the 427-yard ninth hole after hitting his drive into the water.
“I just hit in the right spot on the back nine and kept myself in a safe place,” he said. “Last couple of holes on the first nine I think I didn’t play bad, just got in the wind and I got some bad luck. But that’s golf.”
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