Li Haotong’s global travels will continue next month when the he makes his tournament debut at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open, the only event tri-sanctioned by the European Tour, Asian Tour and Sunshine Tour.
The 20 year old Chinese has received a sponsor’s invite to compete in the second edition of the €1,000,000 event, which will be held over the Ernie Els-designed course at the Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita from May 12-15.
Scott Hend and Jeev Milkha Singh, who have won eight and six Asian Tour titles respectively, and European Tour stars Nicolas Colsaerts and Thomas Levet are among other big names confirmed for the event, which last year was won by George Coetzee of South Africa.
Li shot into the golfing spotlight last November when he tied for seventh in the US$8.5 million WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai after playing with then World Number One Jordan Spieth in the final round.
He now hopes to make a similar impact on his first visit to Mauritius, a popular holiday destination for tourists from France, UK, South Africa and, increasingly, China.
“It’s a really big honour for me to be invited to compete in the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open and I want to thank the organisers for giving me this opportunity,” said Li, who will travel on Air Mauritius, the country’s national carrier, which flies direct from many cities in China.
“I’ve never been to Mauritius, but I’ve heard that it’s one of the most beautiful golf destinations in the world. I’m really excited to experience the Mauritian hospitality and look forward to spending time at the Four Seasons Resort Mauritius at Anahita.”
This year, Li has already competed in Web.com Tour events in the USA, Brazil, Panama and Colombia, and played in PGA Tour events in Hawaii and Puerto Rico on invitations. He is also set to play in back-to-back European Tour events at the Shenzhen International and the Volvo China Open in Beijing.
Ryan Dodds, Chairperson of the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open Organising Committee, said: “We are delighted to extend an invitation to Li Haotong to compete at the AfrAsia Bank Mauritius Open in May following his impressive rise in golf, from the PGA Tour China to the Web.com Tour, and increasingly to major international events around the world.
“Haotong is the latest star to confirm his participation in the tournament, which will showcase the country’s golf attractions to a large audience around the world and play a key role on the European Tour, Asian Tour and Sunshine Tour.
“I know Haotong has travelled a lot, but we’re confident he will find Mauritius a truly memorable destination and I hope it’s the first of many visits for him.”
Li is currently China’s number three and is hoping to compete at this year’s Olympic Games. With only two places available, he faces a battle with Liang Wenchong and Wu Ashun to make it to Rio de Janeiro.
