Key Points
Bullet point summary by AI
- The Masters leaderboard has tightened significantly through Round 3, with several contenders now challenging the projected favorite.
- A golfer who hasn’t finished above 32nd in previous appearances has surged into contention, sitting just four shots off the pace.
- This unexpected surge marks a major shift in the player’s major championship narrative, with past near-misses and consistent professional wins offering a glimpse of potential history.
It looked as if after he performed in the first two rounds, the green jacket was Rory McIlroy's to lose, but through Round 3, the leaderboard is a lot closer than most envisioned. In fact, McIlroy is now tied with Cameron Young for first place as of this writing. With that being said, several golfers, including Haotong Li, have made things interesting. Li was only one under par after Round 1 and ended Round 2 at four under par (despite some extenuating circumstances). While he didn't finish as strongly, he was just as good in Round 3.
You never know what'll happen in Augusta, and while the odds are certainly against Li (and the remainder of the field) against McIlroy, he's got a shot. He's currently four shots back of the lead, which isn't insurmountable. It'll take a near-perfect finish and perhaps a little luck, but again, he's got a shot. With that in mind, let's dive into Li's history at the Masters and other major events.
Has Haotong Li ever won the Masters?
Here's a look at Haotong Li's history at the Masters. Spoiler: it's not pretty. He's never won, or even come close.
Year | Haotong Li's Masters Finishing Position |
|---|---|
2025 Masters | DNP or DNQ |
2024 Masters | DNP or DNQ |
2023 Masters | DNP or DNQ |
2022 Masters | DNP or DNQ |
2021 Masters | DNP or DNQ |
2020 Masters | DNP or DNQ |
2019 Masters | T-43rd |
2018 Masters | T-32nd |
2017 Masters | DNP or DNQ |
This is what makes Li's performance this year so fascinating. Prior to 2026, Li has been pretty irrelevant at the Masters. He hadn't even participated in the event since 2019 and has never finished above 32nd place. Now, he's a dark horse worth paying attention to.
At the end of the day, getting to the Masters consistently doesn't matter as much when you're able to put up strong performances in the years you qualify. Li hadn't done that prior to this year, but perhaps his showing this time around can springboard him to something special in future iterations of the Masters and other tentpole events.
Has Haotong Li ever won a major championship?
Unfortunately for Li, the Masters isn't the only major championship event he has not won. Li does not have a single major championship on his ledger. He has come close on a couple of occasions, though.
In 2017, Li finished in third place in The Open Championship, one shot ahead of Rory McIlroy and six shots behind Jordan Spieth, the winner of that event. While that was nearly a decade ago, Li's performance at The Open Championship in 2025 might spark some more optimism.
He finished tied for fourth that year, knotted up at -11 with Matt Fitzpatrick and Wyndham Clark. He was six shots behind the winner, Scottie Scheffler, but only a couple of shots out of second place. Again, he's never won a major championship, but there have been some close calls. He hopes this year will change that narrative.
How many wins does Haotong Li have in his golf career?
The championship performances have admittedly been a bit lackluster, but Li isn't at the Masters by accident. He has won eight events as a professional in his career, with most of his luck coming on the European Tour. He earned his first of four European Tour victories in 2016, and his most recent victory in that event came in 2025 by just one stroke.
In addition to his European success, Li also has multiple wins on the PGA Tour China and on the OneAsia Tour. He hasn't done much winning in the United States, but it's not as if he's done nothing in the grand scheme of things. His first professional win came at the Jianye Tianzhu Henan Open in 2014, and his most recent victory is the aforementioned European Tour win in 2025.
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