Li Haotong: Expect a New Generation of Chinese Golf Superstars in the Next Decade

Li Haotong believes that with the changing attitudes towards golf in China, his country will produce a new wave of superstars on the global stage in the next ten years.

Last week, the Volvo China Open returned to the DP World Tour. As the oldest professional golf tournament in China, this week marked the event’s 17th edition in the country and its first since 2019.

Since the inception of the China Open, two Chinese players have won the title during its time as an European Tour-sanctioned event – Wu Ashun in 2015 and Li Haotong in 2016.

Li’s victory that year was particularly significant in the history of golf in China. Just six events later, compatriot Wu Ashun claimed his second career victory, making it the first time two Chinese players had won in the same season.

Two years ago, in 2022, the pair triumphed again, but they remain only the third and fourth Chinese winners in the Tour’s 52-year history.

As attitudes towards golf shift in China, Li is confident that this will change in the coming decade.

Speaking to the DP World Tour, Li said, “The acceptance of golf in China has changed a lot, and more and more people are recognizing and loving the sport.

“Golf is developing much better in China, especially among the younger generation. Compared to us, they have better training facilities, fantastic courses, and professional coaches, so they will definitely rise up.

“I believe that within the next five to ten years, our country will see a group of players performing exceptionally well worldwide.”

At the start of this century, Chinese golfers began scripting their history and finding success on the world stage, particularly on the DP World Tour.

Zhang Lianwei became the first Chinese player to make a name for himself when he won the 2003 Singapore Casio Masters by one stroke over Ernie Els. A three-time winner of the China Amateur Open and multiple Asian Tour champion, Zhang’s victory in Singapore made history for China.

A year later, he became the first Chinese golfer invited to compete in a major, the Masters Tournament.

Four years after that, still in Singapore, Liang Wenchoong defeated Malaysian Ian Steel in a playoff at the Bank Cleriden-sponsored Singapore Masters, becoming the second Chinese player to win on the DP World Tour.

Liang, a three-time consecutive winner of the China Amateur Open, also blazed a trail by becoming the first Chinese golfer to make the cut in a golf major, the 2008 Open Championship, and the first to enter the top 100 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

However, it took another nine years for the next Chinese victory. Li Haotong came close when he lost in a playoff to Thailand’s Kiradech Aphibarnrat at the Shenzhen International. A week later, Wu Ashun became the first Chinese player to win on home soil at the Volvo China Open. A year after that, he won the 2016 Lyoness Open in Austria, and later claimed victories at the 2018 Dutch Open and the 2022 Kenya Open.

In terms of DP World Tour wins, Wu Ashun is the most successful, while Li Haotong could be considered the most successful Chinese golfer in history.

In 2016, Li Haotong won the Volvo China Open at home with a final-round 64, eight under par, becoming the fourth Chinese winner in the tournament’s history.

Reflecting on his victory, he told the DP World Tour that it took him some time to fully appreciate what he had achieved.

“I had a good chance to win before (at the Shenzhen International), where I was two shots ahead, and then I waited almost an hour for Kiradech’s eagle putt, which he made, and we went into a playoff, and I lost. So winning in 2016, I felt like being four behind going into Sunday and then shooting eight under, but even after my round, I still thought someone might eagle the last hole.

“Winning definitely changed my life, moving me from the Web.com Tour (now the Korn Ferry Tour) to the European Tour (now DP World Tour), so it was a big turning point and opportunity for me.

“In fact, it took me about three days to really realize it. At that moment, I didn’t feel anything. My mind kept replaying all the events of that week, but it wasn’t until three days later that I truly realized it, started feeling happy, and understood that it was a huge milestone for me. Even now, it remains significant.

“After that, my career became smoother. A year later, the Chinese golfer shot a final-round 63 at The Open, becoming the first Chinese player to shoot a 63 in a major, and finished third at The Open. He then beat Rory McIlroy by one stroke to win the Omega Dubai Desert Classic in 2018, rising to 32nd in the Official World Golf Ranking. He maintained a 36-hole lead at the 2020 PGA Championship and secured his third DP World Tour title by defeating Thomas Pieters in a playoff at the BMW International Open in Munich, Germany, in 2022.

His victory in Dubai was the first time he proved to himself that he could compete at the highest level, and his recent triumph has Li even more excited. Between the two victories, he went through a genuinely challenging period, slipping out of the top 500 in the world rankings earlier this year. Li admits he doubted whether he could return to the winner’s circle.

“I had never won in a playoff before, so I really didn’t expect to win this tournament. I always felt, especially in those years when my performance was quite disappointing, that I would never get back there, never return to the playoffs,” he said.

Now, with renewed confidence, Li returns to compete on home soil, hoping to inspire and help the next generation, just as Zhang Lianwei and other Chinese stars who have supported him did.

Speaking about Zhang, Li shared, “I first saw Uncle Zhang Lianwei play when I was 14 at the Volvo China Open.”

“I remember meeting him on the green or somewhere else; he was especially friendly and approachable. We chatted and laughed, and since then, we’ve been friends. So, when I was young, he gave me a lot of advice, and we played together many times. He was very helpful to me.

“I hope that these events can send a positive message to young Chinese golfers. I’m willing to give my all for that. I hope they can do even better.”

(Golf European Tour)