'Asian Dragon' Haotong Li causes a stir at The Open and his journey back to the top

From father's caddie to China's golf's number one hope

Born and raised in Hunan province (China), Haotong Li's childhood was not associated with local golf courses. At that time, he followed his father, a car dealership owner with a passion for golf, to work as a... caddy for fun. But it was from those days of quietly observing his father's every swing, every round of his father's game, that Li's love for golf was formed.

In 2011, at the age of 16, Haotong Li decided to pursue a professional career. Just 5 years later, he joined the DP World Tour and immediately made his mark with his first victory at the 2016 China Open.

Although he has never won a major title, Li has made his name known to the golf world many times. At The Open 2017 at Royal Birkdale, he shot a final round of 63, one of the best rounds in the history of the tournament, to finish in a tie for third place, six strokes behind champion Jordan Spieth. This is still the best result by a Chinese golfer at a major tournament.

A year later, Li defeated Rory McIlroy in the final of the 2028 Dubai Desert Classic by just one stroke to win his second DP World Tour title.

At the 2020 PGA Championship, Li became the first Chinese player to hold a round lead in a major, after shooting a bogey-free 65 in the second round. Although he could not maintain his position and finished in T17th place, the performance proved Li's mettle under pressure.

Hit rock bottom and never give up

But since then, Haotong Li's career has gradually declined. In two consecutive The Opens in 2021 and 2022, he failed to make the cut. His world ranking (OWGR) plummeted, at times falling out of the top 500, and the name Haotong Li seemed to disappear from the world golf map.

In 2023, Li thought about retiring. Along with his declining performance, Li also faced the yips syndrome, a psychological disorder that causes the hands and wrists to lose control when hitting. But thanks to the support of his family with a solid foundation and a good coaching team, Li did not give up.

Li's most recent victory at the Qatar Masters in February not only brought him his fourth DP World Tour title, but also an emotional moment.

After the decisive birdie from more than 4.5 meters on the final hole, Haotong Li burst into tears, hugging his caddie, the companion who had been with him through his darkest days.

From the depths, Li seems to be reborn. In the last 10 tournaments, Haotong Li has entered the top 10 4 times. The numbers don't lie and Li doesn't need to prove anything: he is back, stronger than ever.

Breathtaking Battle at Royal Portrush

After a 69 (-2) in the third round, Haotong Li entered the final round of The Open 2025 in second place, just behind Scottie Scheffler. Being grouped with the world's number one golfer in the deciding round was both a joy and a big challenge for Li.

Throughout the round, Li struggled with inconsistent drives, hitting less than half of the fairways. A double bogey on the 14th hole seemed to have extinguished all hope.

But with the spirit of a person who refuses to give up, Li immediately responded with a 5-meter birdie putt at hole 15, then made a classy sand shot at hole 17 that stopped the ball just over 60 cm from the flag and scored a final birdie of the day.

“The tee shot was really a problem, I lost about five strokes because of the driver. I think I need to fix that,” Li admitted.

In the end, Haotong Li finished T4 with a total score of -11. He received an invitation to The Masters 2026, and at the same time rose to 3rd place in the DP World Tour's Race to Dubai rankings. This is very important, because the top 10 in this ranking will be awarded PGA Tour membership cards.

“It was great. I didn’t expect much before the tournament so I’m happy to finish in the top four and return to The Masters,” the 29-year-old golfer said.

Heading to Augusta and the PGA Tour dream

The Masters is always a dream stage for any golfer, and for Haotong Li, it is also a place to mark unforgettable memories. In 2019, he played in the same group as Tiger Woods and Jon Rahm in the first two rounds. At that time, Woods won the major for the 15th time in his career.

“It was a dream come true to play Tiger at Augusta,” Li recalled emotionally. His return in 2026 will be his third time at The Masters, after finishing T32 (2018) and T43 (2019).

Haotong Li has climbed from 111th in the world before The Open 2025 to 77th and is very close to his goal of returning to the PGA Tour. And the memorable experience at Portrush, playing with Scheffler in the final day, has only given him more motivation on the road ahead.

"It was really nice to play with Scottie, who was extremely friendly and nice," Li said. "We joked around a bit, which was fun. I asked him if I could practice with him when I played on the PGA Tour. Scottie said yes. I even joked, 'If I text you, you have to reply.' He said, 'Which Haotong?' I laughed. He was such a nice guy."