China’s Li is on the path to stardom

China’s Li is on the path to stardom

He has shot a 63 on a major Sunday, stared down newly crowned Players champion Rory McIlroy, Alex Noren and Brooks Koepka and earned the respect of Justin Rose and Dustin Johnson following head-to-head duels.

Meet Li Haotong Li — China’s rising star in professional golf.

The 23-year-old continues to reinforce his growing credentials and his recent run at the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play where he qualified for the round of 16 in his second appearance at the US$10.25 million showpiece was another confident step towards earning playing rights on the PGA Tour.

Among US sports fans, Li is still an unknown entity but his wins over Ryder Cup hero Noren and world No.3 Koepka in the group stages at the Match Play certainly boosted his profile although those who follow Asian golf closely know him a lot better as he has won twice on the European Tour.

Interestingly, Li’s first brush with golf was by chance when his father, a businessman, asked him to accompany a friend’s son to the driving range when he was 10 years old. While Li got hooked to the game, the other boy did not.

“That son is now in the military,” said Li.

Destiny has put the young Chinese on the path to stardom. At the Masters last week, Li was grouped with Jon Rahm and eventual winner Tiger Woods in the opening two rounds in another show that he was gaining popularity in some of the biggest tournaments in the world.

After playing on the national amateur team, Li turned professional in 2011 at the age of 16, which was during a period when China’s first golf trailblazer Zhang Lianwei was winding down his career.

Li’s rise has been speedy. He won the inaugural PGA Tour Series-China Order of Merit in 2014 to earn promotion onto the Web.com Tour, claimed a maiden European Tour win on home soil in 2016 before finishing an impressive third at the British Open following a closing 63 at Royal Birkdale in 2017 for the best finish yet by a Chinese golfer in a major.

Early last year, Li created more headlines with a second European Tour triumph when he defeated McIlroy in Dubai, rallying from two shots back with eight holes remaining to secure a memorable win which propelled him into the world’s top-50 for the first time.

“His game speaks for itself,” said Rose, the reigning FedEx Cup champion. “He’s got great technique, he’s confident and he’s not afraid to go low as we’ve seen it in major championships. Haotong just needs times…he’s a brilliant player. He’s got the potential to be a major champion in the future for sure.”

Added Rose, who defeated Li in a play-off in Turkey last November: “What I like about Li is he works really hard. I see him in the gym away from the tournament … he’s always working hard. He misses the cut and he stays around to practice. He’s got good work ethic.”

Li reinforced his reputation further with a runner-up finish at the Saudi Arabia International in February, finishing just two shots behind world No.1 Johnson after climbing into contention with a third round 62 that included four eagles.

Li’s strong performance enhanced his prospects of qualifying for the International Team at the Presidents Cup against the United States in Australia from Dec 9-15. He currently sits in fifth position on the team standings, with captain Ernie Els already keeping close tabs on him.

Li is staying patient to achieve his goals. “I am more assured of myself now. I feel like the things I thought I might not be able to do can actually be achieved. I also have a sense that I am getting closer and closer to the best fields in the world. I hope I can be better and play well on the PGA Tour,” he said.

“On the PGA Tour, you feel like a king playing golf. It’s very big and exciting.”

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