Li Haotong revealed how a trip home to see family and friends reignited his golfing fire as he looked certain to make his first cut of the 2021 Race to Dubai at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship.
The Chinese announced himself to the world as he finished in the top ten on home soil at the 2015 WGC-HSBC Champions and the following year he became a European Tour winner at the Volvo China Open.
After finishing third at the 2017 Open Championship and holding off the challenge of Rory McIlroy to win the 2018 Dubai Desert Classic, he broke into the top 50 in the Official World Golf Ranking and was developing into one of the game's truly global stars.
But after achieving just four European Tour top tens across 2019 and 2020, he failed to make the cut in his first 13 events on the 2021 Race to Dubai, slipping to 433rd in the World Rankings following the Cazoo Classic in mid August.
.@haotong_li leads on his own on -9 through 13 holes of his second round in the #dunhilllinks @TheHomeofGolf. pic.twitter.com/3xCvGV76tF
— Alfred Dunhill Links Championship (@dunhilllinks) October 1, 2021
But after a long awaited trip home and a second place finish in the National Games of China, the World Number 489 has carded rounds of 64-72 in Scotland to head into the weekend just two shots off the lead.
"I haven't been back home in two years and I finally got back," he said. "I think that's the biggest key for me to turn around a little bit.
"I saw so many old friends from back in the day and they gave me a lot of positives and great thoughts as well.
"I found my game is in the right direction right now. I just have to keep getting better every day and keep calm on the course and the result will show by itself."
I have no clue and no expectations and I just want to play my best game and hopefully I'll win this week
While Li got to show off his scoring skills on day one at Kingsbarns, day two at St Andrews was a very different test, with high winds making under par scores a rare commodity.
The 26-year-old coupled four birdies with four bogeys at the Home of Golf and was happy with his day's work.
"It's been solid today," he said. "It's very tough, especially putting on those greens with the windy conditions. But I'm very pleased to finish like this today.
"Honestly, I have no clue and no expectations and I just want to play my best game and hopefully I'll win this week."
