By Rahul Banerji
Three Asians made it into the weekend rounds of the PGA Championship at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco on Friday, led by China’s Haotong Li with a bogey free 65 and an 8-under 132 overall.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (70-67) and Si Woo Kim (69-68) of South Korea also comfortably survived the cut on 3-under 137s at the year’s first major.
There was disappointment for young guns Jazz Janewattananond of Thailand and Korea’s Joohyun Kim who failed to make the grade at 1-over 141 with 79 from a field of 156 professionals going through.
The attention though was all on Li, who is the first from his country to lead a major at any stage. His last outing at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational, saw him finish at the bottom of the field.
On the spot
“The last couple days, I’ve been pretty much all hit in the right spots,” Li said later, according to the Asian Tour website.
“Even on missed greens I got a chance for up and down. Also a lot of good lies in the rough.
“I didn’t even think I could play like this here … got no confidence. Probably it helped me clear my mind a little bit.
“I have no expectations actually. Because the last few months I was home doing nothing so I just want to come here and have fun.”
Chasing pack
Li knows he has a chance to make history but shied away from thinking too far ahead with two-time defending champion Brooks Koepka hard on his heels just two shots back on 133.
“Still got two rounds left. Long way to go. Just want to play my best. If it happens, it happens,” said Li, who practiced for several hours after his second round.
Five players besides Koepka shared second place including Justin Rose, fellow-Englishman Tommy Fleetwood, Aussie Jason Day and early season winner Daniel Berger.
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy were among those barely making it into the weekend, the former sitting on the bubble till a late birdie pushed him towards safety eight shots behind the leader on level-par 140 (68-72).
Cold putter
Tiger rode a cold putter that saw him miss three putts inside 10 feet and the 12-foot birdie putt on the 16th was his longest on the day.
“I drove it great. Missed a few irons on the short side. Didn’t get up-and-down,” Tiger said later.
“And I really struggled with getting the speed of the greens today. They looked faster than what they were putting.”
McIlroy was a shot up on Tiger while world no. 1 Justin Thomas barely made it though, right on the cut number.
Li’s best finish in a major has been a third place at the 2017 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale where he closed with a stunning 63.
According to the PGA Tour website, Li was in China as the pandemic shut down golf.
He returned three weeks ago and missed the cut at Memorial, and then tied for 75th in a 78-man field at the St. Jude Invitational.
Li is also a two-time winner on the European Tour including in 2018, when he beat McIlroy by a shot at the Dubai Desert Classic.
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