PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

August 7, 2020

Haotong Li

Harding Park Golf Club

Flash Quotes

JOHN DEVER: Good morning, and welcome back to the 2020 PGA Championship here at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco. We are joined pleased to be joined by Haotong Li, who posted a 65 today and is 8-under par.

Haotong, you had five birdies but really what caught my eye on your scorecard is just one bogey through two rounds. Has that been a key to not make those mistake and start sliding the wrong way.

HAOTONG LI: Yeah, the last couple days I've been pretty much all hit in the right spot. Even if I miss the green, I still got a chance to up-and-down, and also got a lot -- good lie in the rough.

Q. Trying to become the first player ever from China to win a major, what's it like carrying those expectations for a country?

HAOTONG LI: Well, I've got no expectation actually, because you know, last few months, stay at home doing nothing. I just want to out here have fun.

Q. I'm from San Diego and there's a lot of youth golf academies and they're filled with Chinese. It seems there's an explosion of golf in China. Is it just a matter of time before we see lots and lots of Chinese out here playing very well like you are?

HAOTONG LI: For sure. Like Zhang, who plays on PGA TOUR the whole time now, and you can see he's doing very well. So I think in the future there will be many Chinese coming out on Tour for sure.

Q. Li, what's it going to take for you to become the first player from China to win a major championship?

HAOTONG LI: I don't know. Well, still got two rounds left. Long way to go. Just want to play my best. If it happens, it happens.

Q. Are there moments when what you did at Birkdale still helps you, even three years later confidence-wise or anything like that?

HAOTONG LI: It's a long time ago (laughing). Yeah, definitely good to have that experience in my mind, and definitely will help to play the next two rounds.

Q. Haotong, what has turned your game around? You said you weren't playing much sitting around. What has made your game click this week? And also how long have you been associated with WeChat?

HAOTONG LI: Oh, it's a long time ago. I think since three years ago. I think the key on this course, you just need to hit as many fairways as you can, and especially putting and short game is quite important.

Q. But your game, swing, short game, what has clicked?

HAOTONG LI: Nothing really. Just try to play golf.

Q. Where did you spend the break time?

HAOTONG LI: China.

Q. How did you handle it? Were you able to play any golf at all?

HAOTONG LI: Yeah, all the properties are open now. Pretty much it's like normal. We're doing a great job.

Q. What was your confidence level coming in this week, given you had a disappointing finish in Memphis and then missing the cut at Memorial? Did you feel like a week like this was possible?

HAOTONG LI: Yeah, I didn't even thought I could play like this this week, especially, like you said, got no confidence. Probably it helped me clear my mind a little bit this week.

Q. Back to that 63 at Birkdale, did that feel like the world's quietest 63 when all the attention was focused on Jordan Spieth and Matt Kuchar? Did you feel like you flew under the radar a little bit?

HAOTONG LI: It is, especially the last four birdies, yeah.

Q. Nobody noticed?

HAOTONG LI: Well, I played with Ernie. I think it's very stressful (laughing). Yeah, just like I said, in Birkdale, I think it's my best golf so far, best moment, the last four holes in Birkdale.

Q. I'm sorry if you were asked this already, but what do you think of President Trump's announcement on WeChat, and separately, your thoughts on what makes this course challenging enough for a major?

HAOTONG LI: I mean, major is major, always major level. It's going to be tough always.

Q. Are you aware President Trump signed an executive order banning WeChat, and what are your thoughts on that?

HAOTONG LI: I don't know. Who knows.

Q. You donated some of your winnings to the Hubei charity for COVID-19; why was that important for you, and do you know someone in your family or a friend who's been affected by COVID-19?

HAOTONG LI: No, no one has that, but I just felt bad for my country because so many guys got that. Just want everything getting better as quick as we can expect.

Q. Would you talk a little bit about your Presidents Cup experience? A lot was made out of things. How difficult was that for you, and what would a great next couple of days here this week do for you?

HAOTONG LI: Yeah, it's been very tough on me, the Presidents Cup, because I didn't play until Saturday. Kind of quite late, so not quite in the Presidents Cup that way actually. But anyways, good experience.

Q. Obviously you haven't really -- this is a pretty big position to be in, 36 holes away from potentially winning a major. Can you just kind of talk about how you balance not thinking about the result and what could come with this and what you'll do the next two days and what would it mean to you?

HAOTONG LI: Well, I don't even know what I'm going to do. Just play golf, mate.

Q. How well do you know Guan Tianlang, and do you have any relationship with him?

HAOTONG LI: Oh, I played with him since I was like 12. He's very good.

Q. Did he ever inspire you, especially what he did at the Masters?

HAOTONG LI: Yeah, for sure. Especially he played the Masters when he was 14.

Q. I was just wondering what influence the Irish professional Paul McLaughlin had on your career, especially at lake mal ran early on?

HAOTONG LI: Yeah, they helped me a lot, especially when I first turned pro, the first couple years.

Q. The fact that you have a place down in Rancho Cucamonga, how often are you there and how helpful is it to have that as a base when you were playing on this continent?

HAOTONG LI: Actually I didn't live there. My sister lives there. Just good to have a place.