Li Haotong hopes China will produce new generation of golf superstars within the next decade - Articles

Li Haotong hopes China will produce new generation of golf superstars within the next decade – Articles

Posted by Admin May 3, 2024 Golf

Li Haotong believes a change in attitude towards golf in China will see a new generation of superstars emerge from his homeland on the global stage over the next decade.

The Volvo China Open returns to the DP World Tour schedule for the 17th time this week – and first time since 2019 – as it marks the final counting tournament on the Asian Swing, the third of five Global Swings on the 2024 Race to Dubai schedule.

It’s an event that boasts a rich history, and in that time there have been two Chinese winners of this event – Ashun Wu (2015) and Haotong Li (2016).

The year of Li’s victory was a historic one for Chinese golf, as just six events later Wu added a second career victory to make it the first time that two players from the country had claimed a title in the same season.

Just two years ago, in 2022, the duo did it again, but they still remain just the third and fourth winners to come from China in the Tour’s 52-year-history.

But with a definite change in acceptance of the sport and 47 Chinese golfers competing in this week’s tournament, Li firmly believes that is something which is set to change in the next decade.

“[It’s] changed a lot. I think more and more people accept this sport, and love the sport as well,” he told the DP World Tour.

“Golf in China is growing bigger and bigger, especially all the younger generation. They have better practise facilities, better courses and better coaches as well compared to us so it’s going to be great.

“I’d say probably in the next five to ten years we’re going to have some great players in the world.”

The history of golfers from mainland China and their successes on the global stage – particularly on the DP World Tour – only began this century.

Zhang Lianwei was the first golfer to truly make a name for himself, defeating Ernie Els by one stroke to win the 2003 Caltex Masters. A three-time China Open amateur champion, Zhang had a number of Asian Tour victories and a win in Canada, but made history for his nation in Singapore.

Just a year later he would become the first player from China to play in The Masters, and in 2014 hit the very first tee shot of the newly established PGA Tour China.

It was in Singapore again that four years later, at the Clariden Leu Singapore Masters, Liang Wenchong became the second player in history to lift a title on the DP World Tour, triumphing on the first play-off hole against Iain Steel.

Liang, who was also a three-time winner of the China Open Amateur, paved a new path of success – becoming the first Chinese golfer to make a cut in a Major championship (at the 2008 Open Championship), and first to be ranked inside the top 100 on the Official World Golf Ranking.

But it would be nine years until the next champion would emerge. Li was almost the first of those, losing in a play-off to Kiradech Aphibarnrat at the Shenzen International. Instead, that honour would go to Wu Ashun, who claimed the Volvo China Open just a week later to become the first Chinese player in history to win on home soil. His next victory came a year later at the 2016 Lyoness Open in Austria, and again at the 2018 KLM Open and 2022 Magical Kenya Open.

While Wu is the most successful player in terms of DP World victories, Li is arguably the most successful Chinese player in history.

In 2016, at this very event, Li became the fourth Chinese player in history to win on Tour with his own victory on home soil, producing a final round eight-under 64 to win by three.

Reflecting on that win, he told the DP World Tour it took a while to sink in.

“I already had a great opportunity before here and I was holding a two shot lead, then I wait for like an hour and wait for Kiradech to hole that eagle putt and force a play-off, and I lost that after that. So [during this win] I think I was like four behind going into Sunday and then I shot eight under [but] even after my round, I still thought probably someone will make an eagle down the stretch.

“It was definitely life changing, and made me go from Web.com at that point to play European Tour (now known as the DP World Tour) so it was a huge turning point and opportunity for me as well I guess.

“I actually didn’t really realise that until three days later. I didn’t really feeling anything. I’d been replaying a lot golf from that week (in my mind), but I didn’t really realise until after three days and I started feeling happiness and started to realise, OK, this is actually kind of a big deal for me, it’s huge. [Now] it means a lot.”

It was the start of a somewhat purple patch for the Chinese, who just a year later carded a final round 63 to become the first player from China to do that in a Major, finishing third in The Open Championship.

Li then memorably defeated Rory McIlroy by one stroke to claim the 2018 Omega Dubai Desert Classic to move to a high of 32nd in the Official World Golf Ranking, led the 2020 PGA Championship after 36 holes, and earned his third DP World Tour title in a play-off against Thomas Pieters at the 2022 BMW International Open.

While his victory in Dubai was the first time he proved to himself he can compete at the highest level, his most recent victory was a more emotional one for Li. Following a spell of real struggle with his game between his two victories, falling outside of the world’s top 500 at the start of the year, he admitted he questioned if he would ever return to the winner’s circle.

“I thought I [had] never won in play-off before, so I didn’t really expect I can win that event. I always felt, especially before, that for couple of years I perform quite **, so I just never thought I can come back there and back to the winter circle again.”

Now heading to his home event with a lot more confidence in his game, Li is hopeful he can help inspire the next generation and help them as much as he has been helped by fellow Chinese stars – including Zhang Lianwei.

“I think the first time I met him was when I was 14 years old, playing the Volvo China Open,” Li said of Zhang.

“I think we had a meeting on the chipping green or somewhere and he’s obviously a super nice guy and super friendly. And we talked, we had a chat, had a laugh and since then we just become friends. So, he did give me a lot of advice when I was in a young age and had a lot of practise together as well, so [he was] very helpful.

“I hopefully 1714819340 can give them [the young Chinese players] some positive signs. I would love to just give all I have. Hopefully they can then can perform a lot better.”