Haotong Li: “The dream to play with Tiger”

Haotong Li speaks to the media following his second round at The Open Championship.”

Hey, how are you? How are you? Did you finish eight under? How how do you assess that the rain as well? Yeah, very pleased. Didn’t expect um and actually last few holes been quite easy on us. So, got lucky. You held off Rory at Dubai 2018 going down the stretch to win by one shot. How much will that experience be helpful going into the weekend against some of those top top players? Yeah, definitely. Um those experience uh for sure been very helpful, but most importantly um we’ve been working so hard to get in this position. So we’re supposed to get comfortable on that. When you say work hard, can you describe the things you’ve been working on in the last years? Well, I think every athlete been working really hard to get to this point. So, um, yeah, just hopefully have another solid weekend. What is your life like at home? Do you live near a golf course? Yeah, I actually Yeah, I actually live in downtown, but uh the facility in China been really well. How far is it from your from your home? Downtown with traffic probably hour without probably 40 minutes. Okay. I remember I followed you very closely in 2019 when you played with John Rahm and Tiger and you hit toweringly high shots that went forever. But here you got a much lower flight. How did how did you develop that? Um I think being play Europe a lot uh been helped a lot and um especially last a few years been play on DP world tour and being exper able to experience um different kind of courses been helped my game a lot. Yeah. When you were with Rahm and Tiger for those two days what do you what do you remember best about those two days with Rahm and Tiger? It’s like a dream come true play with Tiger especially drew in drew in Masters and um like I said I didn’t expect and I quite enjoyed at those two runs and of course and then Ron went on and won a US Open and a Masters himself after that. Did you start thinking then that someday you could play at that level or what what were you thinking about your own game compared to where they were? Um I think I think if I play my I if I play my best again I can compete with anyone. Yeah. So, so when you’re when you’re in that situation that you’re going to be this weekend with the top players in the world playing against them, do you feel intimidated? Do you feel comfortable? How do you feel? Oh, definitely won’t be comfortable for sure. It will be a lot of pressure for sure, but uh um just have to find a way to deal with that. It’s not a first time there. So, uh just hopefully um can um make something happen on a weekend. You’re like such an international player. There’s few who play the world more than you. Where would you rank this open championship among the other majors? Uh it’s tough. Uh you’ve been deal with the win all the time. Um firm conditions. So every major is the same. So um it’s just tough. Like if you had a boyhood dream to win one, would it be British Open Championship, Masters? Which would it be? I I don’t mind when is when, mate. I don’t mind any measure, mate. your coach Jamie. Can you tell me a little bit about Jamie and what he’s done for your swing? And also, do you have a favorite football team that you support as well? Sunderland. So, you’re a Sunderland fan? Yeah, not really cuz my ex Caddyy um is a son of fun but I just kind of dealing with you. But uh yeah, Goofy and I um been kind of back and forth for a few times and uh we just been working those poke cut and try to um avoid that uh snap lap which is when I drew that swing yet, you know. So uh been kind of working so far. And you’re looking forward to having Sunderland back in the Premier League? Yeah, it’s going to be a big important season. Why not? Why not? How you had a wedge that said the most handsome man in China. Do you still carry that wedge? Probably throw away already. Can you just tell us what the story was behind? Well, somehow somehow they just randomly the Voki boys randomly stabbed those uh things for me. And I did took a image to um Phil Mickelson, texted him and he goes, “Shame for your country.” But uh yeah, it was fun. What does your necklace represent? Oh, it’s um it’s a lucky thing. Um I I wear I wear them since I was 14 years old.