Li shoots 63 to match final-round record
SOUTHPORT, England — Li Haotong crept into unexpected contention at the British Open with the round of his life Sunday.
It didn’t win him the claret jug. It did earn him a place at the Masters.
The 21-year-old became the fourth player to shoot 63 in the final round of the British Open, after Jodie Mudd (Royal Birkdale in 1991), Payne Stewart (Royal St. George’s in 1993) and Henrik Stenson (Royal Troon in 2016). The 7-under-par round moved him to 6 under for the tournament and after being just two shots off the lead at one stage, he finished in third place and six shots behind champion Jordan Spieth.
Ernie Els, Li’s playing partner, had a front-row seat of a bogey-free round containing seven birdies — four coming in the final four holes — and just 25 putts.
“I could see he wasn’t backing off,” Els said. “You see some guys get a little bit scared, but he kept going. So it was really special to see.”
Li said he felt at home at Royal Birkdale because it was similar to the course he plays in Shanghai, Lake Malaren.
“Unbelievable, actually,” he said. “I can’t explain.
“Glad to see I holed everything. So quite happy out there.”
Li won the Volvo China Open last year and maybe gained more recognition last month at the French Open, when he threw his putter into a lake in frustration at making a bogey. Minutes later, his mother waded into the muddy water to retrieve the club, slowly returned with it to dry land, only to throw it back into the water because it had been snapped in half by Li.
“Don’t remind me, please,” he told reporters, laughing.
Li shot 82-84 in the final two rounds of the US Open last month. He earned a place at Augusta National next year for finishing in the top four at Royal Birkdale. McIlroy happy with tie for 4th: Rory McIlroy has gone 10 majors without winning, the longest stretch since he turned pro. He at least thought he made progress at the British Open, and he has reason to be excited for the next major. For one thing, his form is improving.
Despite a horrid start at Royal Birkdale — 5-over through six holes Thursday — he bounced back with rounds of 68-69-67 to tie for fourth, his best finish in a major since he was fourth alone in the 2015 Masters.
And the PGA Championship is at Quail Hollow in North Carolina, where McIlroy has won twice. First up is the Bridgestone Invitational. He won the last time he played Firestone in 2014.
“I’m excited for the next two weeks,” he said. “I haven’t played at Firestone for a couple of years. The last time I played there, I won. And I’ve had some good finishes. Quail Hollow, I’ve played well there. Shot a couple of course records, a couple of wins. Got beaten in a playoff, as well. Another couple of top 10s thrown in there. So I play well at Quail Hollow. I love the golf course. I know they’ve made a few changes, but I’ll have some really good vibes going into that week.”
McIlroy was coming off three missed cuts in his previous four tournaments.