This extremely talented professional could write history in Royal Portrush history

Portrush, Northern Ireland – If you could see Haotong Li with Jon Rahm and Tiger Woods with Jon Rahm and Tiger Woods the first two rounds of the master, you might have thought that one day he could win the masters. With every club that stopped on the command, he met up to upgrade high shots and he was longer than his partners with the driver. Tiger did what tiger is doing when he is impressed: he watched.

What they hadn't suspected was that Li, a big, slim 29-year-old golf from Hunan, China, would one day fight on a short, quirky, bouncing British open course as he plays at Royal Portrush this week. He shot 67 on Thursday and liked the number so much that he shot it again on Friday. He strikes in the middle of this 153rd open championship, a tournament that was won by Irish, English, Scots, Americans, Australians and a Frenchman, an Italian and a Spaniard, but never won a golfer from China. If Mr. Li can shoot a lower score than Scottie Scheffler and Matthew Fitzpatrick and various other better known talents through an astonishing chance, Li will become a Chinese Gulf, which was Seve Ballesteros for the European Golf.

China has 1.4 billion people (and counts) and 600 courses (and count). Can you imagine that the crowning glory that Li would be at home if he left the city as a master of the year?

When you watch Li, you don't get the feeling that the inferno works deeply in it over time. This was said by his South African Caddy, Jady de Beer, on Friday evening when more rain fell into a city that is used to rain and on a golf course that can handle it.

“The fans won't see it, but inside, his good is very Good, and his bad one is very Bad, “said de Beer.” He plays with a lot of heart. “

American golffans may not be so familiar with him, but the rest of the golf world is. He played in the international team in the Presidents Cup 2019 in Australia (as Woods the US captain and in the end was the winner). That was with Royal Melbourne, a leak -free link, if there was ever one. Li smoked Dustin Johnson on Sundays Singles, 4 and 3. He won four times on the DP World Tour. That means what Seve called Europe. Seve played Europe and the world. This Haotong Li does about the same.

In an interview after the around Friday evening, in which his outstanding English and a playful way were exhibited, Li revealed that he had the same golden necklace since the age of 14. So that he practices and plays for 40 minutes by the course from the course “The Facility” life. That means 40 minutes if there is no traffic. Playing with Woods for two days in 2019, the year in which he won his fifth master, was “like a dream”.

He was asked to evaluate the four majors. Golfers who do not come from the USA often quote the open championship and the masters as their two top.

He didn't go down this street.

“I don't mind,” he said.

But now it flowed. His girlfriend was nearby, under an umbrella. His caddy had brought the bag to the storage bag. Haotong Li asked some questions about football (football) about a wedge that he had stamped the most good -looking man in China about his happy necklace. And then he was gone to face the biggest weekend of his golf.

Michael Bamberger welcomes her comments at Michael.bamberger@golf.com.