Haotong Li Facts: 16 Things You Didn't Know About The Chinese Golfer
Find out more about Chinese pro, Haotong Li via these facts regarding his life and journey through the game so far...


Elliott Heath
Haotong Li is a Chinese golfer who competes on the DP World Tour and has multiple wins as a professional. Find out more about his life and career via these facts.
Haotong Li Facts
1. Li was born on August 3, 1995 in Shanghai, China.
2. He was introduced to golf by his father, acting as a caddie initially. He started playing golf himself aged 10. Once he beat his father, Haotong's parents quit their jobs and began travelling the world in a bid to help their son become a pro.
3. As a 14-year-old junior, he won the 2010 Volvo China Junior Match Play to qualify for the 2011 Volvo China Open.
4. Li turned pro in 2011 aged 16 and began playing on the Asian Tour and PGA Tour of Australasia.
5. In 2014, Li won the PGA Tour China's Order of Merit after winning three times.
6. He became the first-ever Chinese member of the Web.com Tour after graduating from PGA Tour China in 2014.
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7. His victory at the Nanshan China Masters, aged 19, saw him become the youngest ever winner on the Asian Tour.
8. Li became the youngest winner of the China Open on the European Tour when an inspired eight-under round of 64 saw him win by three strokes in 2016 at the age of 19.
9. Li represented China at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio - his only Olympic appearance to date.
10. He cites his interests at computer games, billiards and sports.
Haotong Li hits a tee shot during the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil
11. He shot a 63 in the final round of the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale to finish third. It was only his second Major appearance.
12. His second European Tour victory came at the 2018 Dubai Desert Classic, where he duelled Rory McIlroy in the final round and held the Northern Irishman off by one stroke.
13. In 2018, Li became the first ever Chinese man to reach the top-50 of the Official World Golf Ranking.
14. He became the first Chinese player to compete for the International Team at the Presidents Cup. Li made his debut in 2019 at Royal Melbourne in Australia.
15. Li led the 2020 PGA Championship after 36 holes but fell back to finish T17th.
16. Following a dip outside of the world's top-500 around 2020/2021, Li returned to form on the DP World Tour over the next few years, winning multiple times. His first victory arrived via a 50-foot putt in a playoff against Thomas Pieters at the 2022 BMW International Open while his next was at the 2025 Qatar Masters.
Haotong Li with the Qatar Masters trophy
HAOTONG LI BIO
Born | August 3, 1995 - Shanghai, China |
Height | 6ft (1.83m) |
Turned Pro | 2011 |
Former Tours | Web.com Tour, PGA Tour China, Asian Tour |
Current Tour | DP World Tour |
Pro Wins | 8 |
Highest OWGR | 32nd (January 2018) |
Best Major Finish | 3rd (2017 Open) |
HAOTONG LI PRO WINS
Tour | Event | Winning Score |
---|---|---|
Asian Tour | 2014 Nanshan China Masters | -9 (four strokes) |
PGA Tour China | 2014 Jianye Tianzhu Henan Open | -13 (eight strokes) |
PGA Tour China | 2014 Hainan Open | -10 (six strokes) |
PGA Tour China | 2014 CTS Tycoon Championship | -11 (five strokes) |
Asian Tour/DP World Tour | 2016 China Open | -22 (three strokes) |
DP World Tour | 2018 Dubai Desert Classic | -23 (one stroke) |
DP World Tour | 2022 BMW International Open | -22 (playoff - Thomas Pieters) |
DP World Tour | 2025 Qatar Masters | -16 (one stroke) |

Jonny Leighfield is our Staff News Writer who joined Golf Monthly just in time for the 2023 Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper. During his time with Golf Monthly, Jonny has interviewed several stars of the game, including Robert MacIntyre, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, and Joaquin Niemann. An improving golfer himself, Jonny enjoys learning as much about the game as he can and recently reached his Handicap goal of 18 for the first time. He attended both the 150th and 151st Open Championships and dreams of attending The Masters one day.
- Elliott HeathNews Editor
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