THE 153RD OPEN

July 19, 2025

Haotong Li

Mixed Zone

Q. Are you quite comfortable?

HAOTONG LI: Yeah.

Q. In what way?

HAOTONG LI: Just comfortable.

Q. Did you have fun today?

HAOTONG LI: Yes.

Q. It feels like you're not being affected by the attention, the noise or anything. You are doing your own thing. How do you do that?

HAOTONG LI: I don't know, just do it. I felt like I was quite comfortable in my warmup session as well. Like I said, I didn't expect that at all. I think to play without expectation is kind of a good thing for me.

Q. Why have you done so well this week? Why are you playing so well?

HAOTONG LI: I don't know why.

Q. You do. Come on.

HAOTONG LI: I don't know why.

Q. Really?

HAOTONG LI: I don't. I'll tell you what, the last couple weeks, I felt really, really bad, honest. I came in this week, I hardly get on the course to play because I felt like so many people, course being so packed, and I just hit kind of a few balls on the range, wasn't comfortable. Even our Thursday, Friday morning session wasn't. But until today morning, actually quite nice. This afternoon, yeah.

Q. What's surprised you the most about your game this week?

HAOTONG LI: Just very happy to see my pull cut slowly coming back, which last week it didn't happen. Everything kind of pull, didn't cut. (Laughter.) I think that's the most reason.

Q. What about tomorrow playing with Scottie? Is it something that affects you, makes you not sleep well?

HAOTONG LI: I'm actually quite looking forward to it. Four shots behind, kind of like play for second, especially play with world No. 1. I just try to play my best out there and hopefully make something happen.

Yeah, it's going to be exciting. Looking forward to it.

Q. I'm guessing you've never done it before?

HAOTONG LI: Never, first time.

Q. Any idea what might happen?

HAOTONG LI: I kind of have idea. I look a lot of TV to play -- like to saw the players in the last group. Just very happy to be one of them. Hopefully I can bring something good.

Q. Do you feel like you have kind of nothing to lose tomorrow?

HAOTONG LI: For sure, nothing to lose. Especially from two years ago, swing yips, couldn't even pull the trigger until now. It's a massive step for me.

Q. Big question, but how did you get from there to here?

HAOTONG LI: I don't know again. (Laughter).

Q. It's a miracle?

HAOTONG LI: Yeah, it's a miracle.

Q. There's a lot you don't know.

HAOTONG LI: Yeah.

Q. We think you should know it.

HAOTONG LI: Oh, yeah.

Q. Are you deliberately not knowing?

HAOTONG LI: Maybe next time you become my coach and tell me why.

Q. It's the mental stuff too. You've been out there, hit 67 shots or whatever, and you come in here and say you don't know how you've done it?

HAOTONG LI: I know how I've done it. I just didn't know why that happened. I know I hit some quality shots. That's how I performed that. But I just didn't expect that. That's how that is.

Q. So it's expecting it rather than knowing?

HAOTONG LI: If you want to say that way, yes.