Haotong Li bids to create more Open memories on Royal Birkdale return

Mathieu Wood

From wanting to withdraw ahead of his debut appearance through a loss of confidence in his game to the thrill of playing in the final group last time out, Haotong Li has experienced a range of emotions at The Open.

The Chinese star is this week back at Royal Birkdale, nine years on from announcing himself on the Major Championship stage at the Southport venue.

Days after struggling to find the clubface on the range and in practice, Li closed out the week with a 63 that secured him a backdoor third-place finish in only his second Major appearance.

To this day, that remains his career-best finish in one of golf's four marquee tournaments.

Recalling that week, Li said in an upcoming episode of the Life on Tour presented by Buffalo Trace podcast: "I was so stressed because I’d been playing quite well but didn’t get a result during that month (he finished 36th and 50th at Irish Open and Scottish Open in the two weeks prior).

"On the Tuesday, I just couldn’t find the face of the club, and I was going to pull out of the event. I just couldn't deal with it, I couldn't play."

But persist he did, registering a first-round one-under-par 69 to sit four shots adrift of the early pace.

While a 73 in the second round meant Li was eight shots back of halfway leader Jordan Spieth, he comfortably made the cut.

And while a 69 saw him gain some headway on the leaderboard, he appeared set for a respectable if not remarkable result.

However, playing alongside two-time Open champion Ernie Els in the final round, Li birdied his final four holes to vault up the standings.

With conditions expected to only get tougher for the later starters, South African Els even thought Li might have played his way in with a chance to claim the Claret Jug.

"You may just win a Major," Li said of what Els said to him in a conversation the pair shared as they finished their rounds.

“I said, 'are you sure?'

"He said 'don’t go, you [should] stay.'"

As it transpired, conditions calmed and Spieth held his nerve down the stretch despite a moment of drama that resulted in an all-world bogey at the 13th to claim a three-stroke victory over his fellow American Matt Kuchar.

“I was just super pleased to finish third in my second Major," Li said.

"I thought, wow, I had quite a good week. I finished third without any expectations, from nowhere."

Already by then a DP World Tour winner, Li has since won a further three titles on golf's global Tour and last year earned dual membership with the PGA TOUR for 2026.

That in part is down to his performance at last summer's Open Championship when he finished tied fourth.

Rounds of 67, 67 and 69 at Royal Portrush meant Li was Scottie Scheffler's closest challenger heading into the final round.

The experience of playing alongside the World Number One is one that Li will forever remember.

"I definitely learned a lot from Scottie that day," he said.

"He just made me feel like I was playing a casual practice round with other mates.

“I’d never played with him before and he was just so calm."

The duo were again paired together in the final round of this year's Masters, when Scheffler carded a 65 to finish one shot shy of defending champion Rory McIlroy.

“Every time he’s played with me, he’ll hole everything," Li said of Scheffler. "He played with me at the Masters and he putted really well, except the 17th (when the American just missed a birdie attempt).

“But overall, I find his mentality and the way he controls his ball... he deserves to be where he is.

Li struggled to a closing 80 that day at Augusta National, but he can call upon the manner in which he performed amid increased scrutiny in carding a closing 70 last year in Northern Ireland as he returns to Birkdale.

“I wasn’t thinking that much," he said of how he felt playing in a final group at a Major.

"At least for me, you lower your expectations without negative thoughts and just play shot by shot.

"That’s how I am every time at a Major, that’s why I quite enjoy it so far. It’s a great feeling."

While there have been three missed cuts in his six previous Open appearances, Li believes this is the Major which provides him the best chance of victory.

"Definitely," he said. "My short game, around the greens, has never been that sharp. The Open has always been an event where you can putt from off the green!

"I like to hit a lot of low cuts, so especially in the wind it suits me. I am just looking forward to the opportunity."

After a tough run of form in recent months, in which he has made four of his last 14 cuts, Li is hoping to rediscover some of the Open magic from Portrush and Birkdale many years before that.

"This time, it is a place where I try to regain my confidence," he said.

"The last couple of months have been super tough. The set-up is different to Europe, you just can’t be short-sided. The grass is different around the greens, you can’t be too aggressive.

"Hopefully I can find my A-game again."