Haotong Li was on the verge of withdrawing from The Masters on Friday morning. When he stands on the first tee just four shots off the lead on Sunday, he will be glad that he didn’t follow through with that decision.
The Chinese star admitted on Friday that he had spent the previous night ‘living in the toilet’. It left him fearing he would be unable to endure a full 18 holes over Augusta National. He was simply glad he ‘survived the day’.
24 hours later and Li did more than survive. On Saturday, despite claiming that he was still ‘battling’, he made it into contention. Whatever sickness struck him down, The Masters provided the medicine.
Dressed head-to-toe in white – a bold fashion choice for someone who just a day earlier had admitted he couldn’t pry himself away from the toilet bowl – Li shot a three-under 69 on moving day to soar to seven-under.
Now, on his third Masters appearance and first since 2019, the 30-year-old heads into the final round at Augusta four shots off the lead. Not only that, but he finds himself in a pairing with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler.
To look at Li’s scorecard on Saturday, no one would have been any the wiser that he was battling anything other than arduous Augusta. While he may not be, it was a clean bill of health.
If three birdies through the opening five holes weren’t enough evidence of Li’s recovery, then the eagle three at the eighth certainly was. Splitting the fairway with his drive, Li dialled in his second to a foot of the pin.
Suddenly, a full-strength Li found himself among the challengers and fighting fit to hunt down Rory McIlroy.
Perhaps the toll of the past 48 hours and the repeated bathroom trips began to set in on the back nine, the battle against illness and Augusta ultimately too much. For that’s where the only blemishes in Li’s round could be found.
Li found treacherous Rae’s Creek winding in front of the raised 13th green with his second shot. He suffered a similar watery fate on 15. His second shot into the green at the par-five barely left the ground. It shockingly scuttled along the fairway before trundling into the water.
This time, Li reprimanded himself for taking a splash, clipping himself around the ear. As if his body needed any further punishment this week.
‘Just some negative thoughts between my backswing. Somehow something clicked, I don’t know. Yeah, very disappointed,’ he said of the moment following his round.
Li may be disappointed. But he shouldn’t be.
Heading into Sunday, most of the names atop The Masters leaderboard are familiar. McIlroy, Scheffler, Young, Lowry, Burns; they’re the headliners. And, despite his bathroom battles, Li finds himself among them.
He may be a surprise contender, but Li certainly adds an entertaining element to Sunday.
Even without his digestive issues, Li’s journey back to The Masters has been resilient. He delivered a breakout performance at the 2017 Open Championship, shooting a blistering 63 on the final day to finish third behind Jordan Spieth and Matt Kuchar.
Li nearly retired from golf in 2021 after missing 13 of 16 cuts on the DP World Tour. After winning a tournament in Dubai over none other than Masters co-leader McIlroy in 2018, he went over four years without carding a win.
As a result, Li hadn’t appeared at The Masters since 2019, when he played the first two rounds with none other than eventual winner and legend Tiger Woods.
But he has proved himself on golf’s greatest stages. He found himself in contention at last year’s Open Championship where he was also paired alongside Scheffler.
At Royal Portrush, Li and Scheffler headed out in the final pairing. Most people would expect stoicism from the duo dueling for the Claret Jug. But nothing is ever stoic when Li is around.
Scheffler went on to win and Li finished fourth, unlocking his spot at this year’s Masters, but to look at the pair, it resembled any other knockaround round between friends.
They were captured chatting and laughing throughout the round. And, when later asked about the hilarity, Li shared one of Scheffler’s punchlines.
‘I just said, is there any time I can practice with you when I go to the PGA Tour, and he said yes,’ Li said. ‘But I said, when I text you, you better reply to me.’
‘And he goes, “Haotong Who?”,’ Li said. ‘That was actually funny. Just a lovely guy to play with, and I enjoyed.’
On Sunday, Li heads out with his old pal Scheffler once again. They sit four shots back of Rory McIlroy and Cam Young’s lead., but no doubt they’ll exchange a crack or two in between their hunt of the leaders.
Li’s outsized personality and eccentric character are great assets to the game of golf, which is often viewed as buttoned-up.
For most golfers, making it to The Masters alone is a dream come true, but for Li this week at Augusta has fulfilled fantasies.
He revealed to the ‘Smylie Show’ in February that he learned English from watching Kevin Hart. On Wednesday, he got to meet his idol.
‘You’re my hero!’ he yelled, then exclaimed, ‘Let’s f***ing go!’ on live television when he saw the comedian caddying for Bryson DeChambeau during the Par-Three contest.
‘Obviously met Kevin Hart in person,’ he said of the moment following Saturday’s round. ‘Feel like [Wednesday was more important] than a golf tournament.’
Many would disagree. Heading into Masters Sunday alongside the world No. 1 and the green jacket on the line may just hold some importance.
