Li hints at revival after setting early pace at Dubai Desert Classic
A familiar name re-emerged on the top of the leaderboard after the first session at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic, and hinted at a career revival in the process.
There must have been times in the recent past when Haotong Li feared he could be about to vanish from golf’s reckoning for good.
The Chinese player became the first Asian winner of the Classic when he beat Rory McIlroy down the stretch back in 2018. The points he accrued in claiming the Dallah Trophy back then vaulted Li to a career best placing of 32 in the world rankings.
He was 22 at the time, and on the brink of joining the game’s elite.
Since that high watermark, though, came the decline. In 22 starts last season, Li missed the cut 18 times, and registered zero top 10 finishes. He is way out at 476th in the standings now, but Dubai appears to be working a charm for him all over again after a 5-under-par 67 on the opening morning at the Majlis. That gave him a one-stroke lead among the early finishers.
By the end of the day, he was joined at the top of the leaderboard by Andy Sullivan, Rasmus Hojgaard and Cameron Young at 5-under par.
It might have been better still for the former champion. Li’s card was blemish-free until the 15th.
He then carded two bogeys in the space of three holes, but that was either side of a birdie, and he birdied the last, too.
Li said he had recalled moments from his title win on his latest trip round the Majlis. “I can’t believe it’s six years ago now,” said Li, who is now 28. “I had a lot of great memories and hopefully I can continue to do some magic here.”
McIlroy himself threatened to race straight back to the summit of the leaderboard. The defending champion was 4-under at the turn, after starting at the 10th.
He appeared to be flying at that point, but he went backwards on the way back in. Despite a perfect teeshot at the first – his 10th – the Northern Irishman made bogey.
He made three more in a row from the sixth to the eighth, and left the course in dejected mood.