China's Li seeks top form at WGC-FEDEX ST Jude International
China’s rising star Haotong Li hopes to bounce back into top form when he returns to World Golf Championships action at the US$10.25 million WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational starting on Thursday.
The 23-year-old uncharacteristically missed the cut in his last two tournaments, including The Open Championship last week, but a first trip to TPC Southwind in Memphis has given him a fresh dose of confidence.
In his last three WGC starts, the slender Chinese has not finished lower than T19, which he achieved at the WGC-Mexico Championship in February.
Li posted a T11 at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai last fall before adding a commendable T9 at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Austin in March after progressing past the group stage where he defeated current FedExCup No. 1 Brooks Koepka and Europe’s Ryder Cup star Alex Noren.
His best finish in a WGC remains a T7 at the 2015 WGC-HSBC Champions which he aims to improve this week. Li, a two-time European Tour winner, begins his campaign in the company of American veteran star Phil Mickelson and Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen in the first round.
“I always enjoy playing in the World Golf Championships. You always get good players in the tournament and it’s very big,” said Li.
Visiting Memphis, a historical city known as the home of Blues, Soul, and Rock ‘n’ Roll and famous for its BBQs, for the first time, the young Asian talent is also keen to secure his debut appearance in the Presidents Cup for the International Team.
Despite missing the cut last week, the World No. 46 remains in fifth position on the team’s points standings, with the top-8 players as at August 19 securing automatic places in Captain Ernie Els’ team to face the United States Team at Royal Melbourne Golf Club in December.
Chinese Taipei’s C.T. Pan is also chasing for honours this week where he will play alongside two former Masters Tournament champions in Bubba Watson and Adam Scott in the opening two rounds. Pan won the RBC Heritage in April for his first PGA TOUR win and like Li, he is hoping to secure a maiden appearance in the Presidents Cup where he currently ranks sixth on the International Team standings.
The WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational is Pan’s second WGC appearance after he finished T22 at the WGC-HSBC Champions last year.
A stellar line-up of stars led by Koepka, who is also the World No. 1, will feature in the WGC-FedEx St Jude Invitational. After 19 editions at Firestone Country Club, the event moves to TPC Southwind, former host of the FedEx St. Jude Classic, for the first time this week.
American Justin Thomas is the defending champion while the most recent winner at TPC Southwind is Dustin Johnson. This week’s field will feature nine of the top 10 in the FedExCup standings in the field with two weeks remaining in the race for the Wyndham Rewards Top 10 which pays out the No. 1 ranked player at the end of the Regular Season with a US$2 million bonus.
