SAN FRANCISCO – TPC Harding Park is renowned for producing champions who are among the all-time best in golf. Halfway through the PGA Championship, Li Haotong delivered his own footnote in history.
With five birdies through 10 holes and eight tough pars down the stretch, Li shot a 5-under-par 65 on Friday and became the first Chinese player to lead after any round of any major tournament.
Surprised? So was he.
Li was in China as the coronavirus pandemic shut down golf in mid-March. He returned three weeks ago and missed the cut at the PGA Tour’s Memorial Tournament, then tied for 75th in a 78-man field at a World Golf Championship last weekend in Memphis.
“I didn’t even (think) I could play like this … got no confidence,” Li said. “Probably it helped me clear my mind a little bit.”