li haotong is back in the major conversation as he prepares for The 154th Open at Royal Birkdale this summer. The Chinese golfer will tee it up at a venue where he made an immediate impression on debut in 2017, finishing third and showing he can handle links golf under pressure. That performance, and his recent form in major championship settings, frame the next chapter of a story that is still building.
Royal Birkdale brings back a familiar test
The setting matters because Royal Birkdale is where li haotong first announced himself on this stage. In 2017, he produced three under-par rounds on unfamiliar links terrain and finished behind only Jordan Spieth and Matt Kuchar, one place ahead of Rory McIlroy. That week also delivered a final-round 63, the lowest major round ever recorded by a Chinese golfer, and nearly matched the Open record before Branden Grace’s 62 the previous day changed the mark.
That run almost did not happen. Li was overcome with nerves during what was only his second major appearance and came close to withdrawing from the Championship altogether, but he stayed in the field and closed with eight birdies in his final 11 holes. His own assessment was simple: “Up until Saturday I played all right – then Sunday I started making some putts and everything started going my way. ” Ernie Els, his playing partner that day, offered a sharper view: “He didn’t miss a putt. ”
The recent form that keeps li haotong in focus
li haotong has also added more evidence that he belongs in strong championship fields. He became the first Chinese man to reach the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking, then showed more links strength with a T39 finish at Carnoustie. After missed cuts in 2019, 2021 and 2022, he returned to The Open at Royal Portrush last year with renewed form and two more DP World Tour titles in the wider record, the BMW International in 2022 and the Qatar Masters in 2025.
At Royal Portrush, he opened with a bogey-free four-under-par 67 to share the lead after round one with Harris English, Matt Fitzpatrick, Christiaan Bezuidenhout and Jacob Skov Olesen. He later birdied the 12th on Friday to move into the outright lead for a moment, before a third-round 69, including a bogey at the last, placed him in Sunday’s final group alongside Scottie Scheffler, four shots back.
What the latest round said about his game
The comparison with that later championship run matters because it shows a player who can settle quickly and stay in the frame when conditions demand control. In his latest major round at Augusta National, li haotong opened another important chapter by going one-under-par 71 in the morning window from 7. 40am ET to 12. 05pm ET, while Johnny Keefer finished on four-over-par 76. The day was defined by patience, distance control, and the pressure of leading off a major field.
That round also included an eagle at the 15th, a reminder that steadiness can still turn into scoring. The clearest takeaway was composure rather than drama, with both players finding the fairway at the first and approaching the heart of the green. As the round was framed by honorary tee shots from Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tom Watson, li haotong responded with a game that looked settled rather than overwhelmed.
Immediate reactions and what comes next
Li’s own reflections suggest he is aware of the standard required. “Last year I felt more part of The Open because I was part of that elite group all the way from Thursday, ” he said on The Smylie Show podcast. That kind of remark fits the broader picture: he has already shown he can belong when the biggest stages reward precision, patience, and nerve.
The next step is straightforward, even if the task is not. Royal Birkdale offers him another chance to turn familiarity into momentum, and li haotong will enter The 154th Open with a record that shows both breakthrough ability and signs of resilience. If he finds his rhythm again on links turf, the next chapter could arrive fast.
