Chinese Trailblazer

It is, however, to compatriot and 'big brother' Liang Wenchong, the first Chinese to make the cut at a major, he has turned most recently for advice.

"My goal is Tiger," Guan said. "But I got more in touch with Liang. I partnered with him at the Dongfeng Nissan Cup and I learned a lot from him."

Liang's manager Jacky Peng is convinced Guan has what it takes to succeed.

"I brought an 18-year-old Chinese player over here earlier this year and he fell apart after a poor front nine," he said. "Langlang has a strong heart. Even when things go wrong, he remains calm."

Playing in Australia was all part of Team Langlang's carefully considered plan to expose Guan to different conditions but professionalism could still be many years away.      

"We have no schedule for him to turn professional at 16, 18 or 20," his father said.

"It all depends on his level. He's going to play tournaments in different countries and different conditions and get experience and we'll see how it goes."

Webb is certain that Guan is "right into" his golf and not just living his parents' dreams.

"I still go to school every weekday in Guangzhou and practice golf for two hours, on the weekends I play a bit more golf," Guan said.

"The most important thing for me is golf, for sure. I don't have much time for anything else but sometimes I play basketball, or some other things with my friends."