Chinese teenager, Andy Zhang, did not have the easiest day
of his short career, as he produced an opening round 79 in his debut appearance
at the US Open. The 14-year old is the youngest ever player to tee off at the
tournament, earning his chance at the Olympic Club following the withdrawal of
Paul Casey through injury.
The Florida-based rookie may not have enjoyed the best of
times on the gruelling course in San Francisco, but he admitted his delight at
making his debut at a Major, despite his troubles.
The Chinese-born prodigy is currently way down the
leaderboard, and seemingly out of reach of making the cut. However, Zhang has not
disgraced himself, after going in to the event at 949/1 in the US Open 2012 odds.
A birdie at the 18th ensured Zhang managed to finish his
round under 80, but it is unlikely the teenager will be around at the weekend.
The experience will be indescribable for Zhang, who showed plenty of signs that
he has an extremely bright future in the sport.
"It was really tough. On the first tee I was like, just
please don't hit a hundred yard slice off the first tee, and I was shaking
really hard. But I hit a great shot,” admitted Zhang, speaking after his tough
day at the Olympic Club.
"After that I didn't hit the ball quite well, but my
putting was okay. The course is really tough. So, I'm actually okay with what I
shot today. At least I broke 80.
"I think I kept myself pretty calm, and I'm really
proud of myself actually. Well, I shouldn't say proud, but I'm really happy to
be here and honoured."
The roar the teenager received upon registering a birdie on
the last hole of the day will live long in Zhang’s memory, giving him extra
motivation to make sure he gets to play with the big boys again.
Whether Zhang will continue to excel beyond his years on the
golf circuit remains to be seen. Check out the British Open page on Betfair for
more information on the next Major: http://betting.betfair.com/golf/golf-events/british-open/
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