HEAD START
Li Haotong was at his best Friday, building an early lead at PGA Championship
SAN FRANCISCO — Still young, often inconsistent, forever fearless, Li Haotong is capable of just about anything on a big stage in golf. He was at his best Friday in the PGA Championship.
Three years after his 63 in the final round of the British Open, Li hit only four fairways at Harding Park and still managed a 5-under 65 that gave him the early lead and set the target for Jason Day, Brooks Koepka and Tiger Woods to chase.
The 25-year-old from China capped a bogeyfree round with his eighth straight par and was at 8-under 132, two shots ahead of Tommy Fleet wood of England among the early starters.
Surprised? Depends on the day.
“The last couple days, I've been pretty much all hit in the right spot,” Li said.
Getting as much attention was the logo on his hat — WeChat, the Chinese social media company and one of his biggest sponsors. Li was in the spotlight at Harding Park one day after President Donald Trump signed executive orders on a vague ban of WeChat and TikTok in 45 days.
Just as unclear was whether Li was aware of the development.
“I don't know,” he said. “Who knows?”
Li is a two-time winner on t he European Tour, most recently in 2018 at the Dubai Desert Classic when he rallied down the stretch to beat Rory McIlroy by one shot.
He was sensational at Royal Birkdale in 2017 — only five other players have 63 in the final round of a major. But he had a terrible week in his Presidents Cup debut at Royal Melbourne in December. When he first came to America, he made fast friends on the developmental tours with his constant laughter, engaging personality and aggressive play.
“He's got the arsenal to take it low,” said Adam Scott, his team mate at Royal Melbourne. “But we don't see that kind of consistency out of him, and that probably matches his personality a little bit. He's young, though, and that's the kind of golf he plays. He plays pretty much all guns blazing, and when it comes off, it's really good.”
And when it doesn't? Hebe at Koepka in the Match Play last year and reached the round of 16. But that was his last top 10 in America.
Fleetwood had one of those final-round 63s in the majors two years ago at Shinnecock Hills in the U.S. Open. He had a 64 on Friday and was two shots behind at 134.
Much like Li — maybe the only thing they have in common — it's been a slow start back. Fleetwood stayed in England during the pandemic, not returning to competition until Minnesota two weeks ago ( he missed the cut). He also played a World Golf Championship last week with middling results, but he found his form in San Francisco.