There's something spectacular going on at Augusta this week. 
 
 A 14-year-old from China named Tianlang Guan—known as "Langly" to his friends—is going to try to make the cut and compete with the best golfers in the world at the Masters. 
 
 Guan is the youngest ever to play in the legendary tournament. 
 
 The idea of such a young golfer having a chance in the prestigious Augusta National Golf Club seems like somebody's dream. As happens in sports on occasion, it does not appear to have anything to do with reality. 
 
 But that's when the prodigy factor takes over. That's exactly what Guan is. 
 
 He may be young, but Guan—who learned the game from his father when he was four years old—has the game of a practiced master, and that's why he is in Augusta, playing the Masters. 
 
 How He Got Here 
 
 How does a 14-year-old eighth-grader from Guangzhou, China, make his way to the Masters? He won the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship last fall. He was the youngest competitor in that 120-player field and basically led from start to finish. 
 
 His performance surprised everybody but himself, as he told Golf Digest: 
 
 I set a target to get the ticket for the Masters by winning the Asia-Pacific Amateur Championship. I thought I'd have a probability of one-third to win—I knew my opponents. Maybe it's a surprise for you, but for me, it was my expectation. 
 
 The winner of the Asia-Pacific Amateur earns an invitation to Augusta. 
 
 Prior to earning that ticket, the youngest player to compete at the Masters was Italy's 16-year-old Matteo Manassero, who played in 2010. 
 
 Guan's Game 
 
 The young Asian player is not going to wow the crowd with his distance off the tee. That's probably the least impressive part of his game. 
 
 Guan is 5'4" and about 145 pounds. He will hit the ball from 240 to 250 yards off the tee. That means some of his competitors will outdrive him by 50 to 60 yards on a regular basis. 
 
 Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images 
 
 None of this bothers Guan in the least. That's because he has the touch of superb player on his shorter shots. He excels with his medium and short irons and uses his belly putter with an expert touch. 
 
 Tiger on playing with Guan Tianlang: "He asked me a lot about my swing and my game... I asked him what classes he was taking." #Masters — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 9, 2013 
 
 He relies on accuracy and touch rather than strength and distance. He knows he can't reach the green on some shots the way his competitors can. 
 
 "That's OK," Guan told Golf Digest. "I'm accustomed to that. I play best from 40 to 50 yards." 
 
 Off the Course 
 
 Guan is the equivalent of a middle school student in Guangzhou, and he frequently visits to the United States. His annual family trips to the West Coast have put him in contact with American students, and he wishes his school day ended at 2 p.m., instead of 5 or 6 p.m. 
 
 Guan started his golf career at a very early age, but he was also exposed to drawing, taekwondo and penmanship. He grew tired of all of these activities—except golf. 
 
 Guan enjoys his native Cantonese food, but he is not afraid to eat American foods, which he enjoys when he is in the United States. Specifically, a hamburger for lunch is one of his favorites (h/t Golf Digest). 
 
 What a great experience yesterday... Playing with Tiger and Tianlang Guan, the young Chinese star!! What a talent he is going to be!! — Dustin Johnson (@DJohnsonPGA) April 9, 2013 
 
 When Guan is not on the golf course, he likes other sports. Basketball is his favorite, and Kobe Bryant is his favorite player. Guan told Golf Digest that he'd love to play a round of golf with Bryant. 
 
 He is a thoughtful youngster whom adults in and out of the golf world have described as friendly. Instead of giving one-syllable or one-word answers, Guan will have actual conversations, a ready smile and a courteous personality. 
 
 Guan's personality is almost as surprising as his golf game. 
 
 Recognition 
 
 Guan is now in the golf annals with one of the great figures in the sport's history. He is the second-youngest player to participate in a golf major. 
 
 If you go back to 1860—yes, the same year Abraham Lincoln was elected president—young Tom Morris competed in the The Open Championship (British Open). Morris was one month younger than Guan, who is officially listed at 14 years, six months. 
 
 David Cannon/Getty Images Ben Crenshaw advised Guan to enjoy his time at the Masters. 
 
 Guan's youth means he has the curiosity factor, but that's not all he brings to the course. He has played practice rounds with Tiger Woods, Tom Watson, Nick Faldo and Ben Crenshaw. The latter three all played with him at Augusta. 
 
 The best golfers in the world wanted to see what made this youngster tick. 
 
 Crenshaw left Guan with the advice to enjoy himself and not to fall victim to the pressure. Guan said he is going to try and follow Crenshaw's advice. 
 
 "I think it's going to be a little pressure to me, but I'm not going to push myself too hard," Guan told Golf Digest (via Yahoo! Sports), "and I'm trying to just enjoy my game, play my best, and hopefully play some good scores." ||||| The solid play of 14-year-old phenom Tianlang Guan has been one of the feel-good stories of the 2013 Masters thus far, but a one-stroke penalty for slow play has become the story of Guan's second day at The Masters. 
 
 UPDATE: Friday, April 12th, at 7:49 p.m. ET by Kyle Vassalo 
 
 The one-stroke penalty didn't cause Guan's Masters journey to end on Day 2. At +4, he's survived the cut: 
 
 14-year-old Tianlang Guan (+4) makes the cut at the #Masters. He is the youngest to make the cut at a major in the modern era — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) April 12, 2013 
 
 ---End of Update--- 
 
 
 
 Will Brinson of CBS Sports indicates that the Chinese prodigy received a one-stroke penalty for slow play and now sits at four-over par for the tournament: 
 
 Tianlang Guan was given a 1-stroke penalty for slow play! — Will Brinson (@WillBrinson) April 12, 2013 
 
 Guan had actually parred the par-four 17th, but he was penalized and forced to take a bogey due to his slow play. Had that call not been made, Guan may have been well clear of the cut line. The projected cut is currently set at four-over par, though, so the youngster will have to sweat out the remainder of the round. 
 
 PGA official informing Guan of penalty stroke 
 
 After an impressive score of one-over par in the opening round on Thursday, Guan had a tough act to follow. He played composed golf for much of the day, however, and was three-over par for the day, although many would probably argue that he should actually be three-over par for the tournament. 
 
 According to Jason Sobel of the Golf Channel, a PGA Tour pro texted him and expressed his dismay over the manner in which Guan’s slow play was addressed: 
 
 Just received this text from PGA Tour pro: "I don't think I've ever seen a more ridiculous time to start enforcing a rule." Amen, brother. — Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelGC) April 12, 2013 
 
 Even though PGA Tour officials technically handled things by the book, the pro appears to have a point. According to PGATour.com, Guan’s one-stroke slow-play penalty is the first at a major since Gregory Bourdy received one at the 2010 PGA Championship. 
 
 Dan Wetzel of Yahoo! Sports caught up with Guan's father, Hanwen, and asked to hear his thoughts regarding the penalty. His response was certainly diplomatic, but it's clear that he doesn't necessarily agree with the decision: 
 
 Guan's father, Hanwen, to Yahoo Sports: "A rule is a rule. But I don’t want to talk too much about it.” — Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) April 12, 2013 
 
 Rules may be rules, but it definitely seems like the officials chose a strange time to crack down. Guan is already under an immense amount of pressure as a 14-year-old playing against men, so it’s tough to blame him for taking extra time in order to compose himself. 
 
 Guan happened to be in a group with two-time Masters champion Ben Crenshaw, who knows a thing or two about the rules of golf. According to Sam Weinman of Golf Digest, Crenshaw apologized to Guan for the way things went down. Although the entire group was technically responsible for the infraction, Crenshaw seemed to take it particularly hard: 
 
 Ben Crenshaw on slow play penalty to playing partner Guan: "This isn't going to wind up pretty. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry this happened." — Sam Weinman (@samweinman) April 12, 2013 
 
 More from an indignant Crenshaw: "I'm sick. He's 14 years old." — Sam Weinman (@samweinman) April 12, 2013 
 
 To Guan’s credit, he didn’t fold after the penalty. He could have easily imploded on the par-four 18th hole in the face of adversity, but he finished strong with a par and may very well succeed in making the cut despite the controversial penalty. 
 
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– The two big story lines from the Masters continue to deliver: Guan Tianlang: The 14-year-old from China, already the youngest player ever to tee off at the event, made the cut at 4-over. This despite the fact that he got penalized one stroke on the 17th for slow play. (It was windy, and he was taking his time choosing clubs.) The kid handled it with class afterward, however, and said he respected the decision, reports Bleacher Report. Tiger Woods: He played well again and is just three shots off the lead at 3-under. Woods shot 1-under today in his bid to win his first major championship since 2008, reports AP. It could have been better: He bogied two of the last four holes. Leaderboard: Australia's Jason Day leads everyone at 6-under, with Fred Couples and Marc Leishman (another Aussie) a shot behind. Angel Cabrera, Jim Furyk, and Brandt Snedeker are at 4-under, and Woods is tied with six others at 3-under. Click for more coverage.