20 | Friday, May 22, 2020 HONG KONG EDITION | CHINA DAILY SPORTS

GOLF LI’S LOCKDOWN

RELOAD I have Chinese star focusing on mental conducted a and physical improvements as review of my whole career he targets return to world’s top 50 and had a lot of talks with my family and friends, trying to find out where I can do better in the future. And the more I think about it, the desire of getting back to play in tournaments grows.” Li Haotong, China’s top golfer

Li Haotong is targeting a return to the upper echelons of the world rankings after slipping out of the top 50, down to No 87. PROVIDED BY IMG

By CHINA DAILY the more I think about it, the end as long as we stick together desire of getting back to play in and help each other.” Li Haotong is making the most tournaments grows. There’s one Li is not giving up his dream of of golf’s pandemic­enforced thing that I’m certain that this competing full­time on the PGA shutdown. shutdown will only make me love Tour and returning for a second China’s No 1 has used his golf more. Presidents Cup appearance next extended time at home to plan for “I think the number one priority year when Quail Hollow Club in a quick return to the sport’s upper (during the shutdown) is to keep Charlotte, North Carolina, hosts echelons after slipping out of the practicing because this is a great the prestigious team event. world’s top 50 last year. chance to adjust my swing and “The PGA Tour is a very chal­ The 24­year­old has read books improve my skills.” lenging tour where you have to to enrich his mind, and invested in Li reckons his decline in form bring out your best game against fitness equipment and a golf simu­ has been self­inflicted. “I always the world’s top players every week lator to bulk up and sharpen his wanted every shot to be perfect, to stay high up on the ranking,” game. More importantly, he and apparently that doesn’t help said Li. donated $142,647 from his Presi­ you when you are not in the best “In the past, I’ve played some dents Cup charitable allocation condition. So, this is what I’m good rounds in major events but I towards the Hubei Charity Federa­ working on aside from my golf would need to get that stability tion for COVID­19 relief. techniques,” he said. and be more mentally strong. This “I am very touched to see those Li added that, as far as mental is what I’m working on right now.” workers who are going to the improvements go, Eckhart Tolle’s Despite results not going his frontlines for assistance,” said Li, book The Power of Now has pro­ way, Li still has fond memories of winner of the inaugural PGA Tour vided some inspiration. his Presidents Cup bow. Series­China order of merit back “I’ve been reading books and “The experience is quite unfor­ in 2014. learning new things which has gettable and I still feel excited The world No 87 hopes his dedi­ been a good way to spend time. Li Haotong lifts weights at his home during quarantine. The world No 87 has invested in new fit­ about it. I believe in our captain cation will revive the kind of form The Eckhart Tolle book is mainly ness equipment in a bid to bulk up during golf’s shutdown. PROVIDED TO CHINA DAILY (Ernie Els) and every decision he which saw him catapult to global about how to communicate with made. attention with a third­place finish your deepest self and how to find “I could have done better in at the 2017 British Open. your inner peace,” explained Li. time competing with compatriot friends on tour, and mostly the “Luckily, none of my family and those two matches I played in but I Last year, Li could only manage “Some opinions could be help­ Wu Ashun on the golf simulator. exciting feeling that you get after friends were affected by the virus didn’t and that is the most disap­ two top­10 finishes and also lost ful, like how to focus on ‘now’ and “I was be able to finish some col­ making a nice shot during compe­ directly. My mom has been very pointing part of my first Presi­ his two matches at the Presidents how this would help you get rid of lege courses which I missed out in tition,” he said. cautious, and when I was still out dents Cup journey. But as I said Cup in Melbourne last December, some negative thoughts. But I the past. And playing a few times The health situation has served there playing on tour months just after the tournament, I which soured his debut as the first have to say that I may not agree on the CGA Simulator Challenge to remind Li to value what he has back, she always shared tips with believe I can prove myself if I get a Chinese mainland golfer to qualify with all the points the author with my tour buddy Ashun was achieved in his short but success­ me and reminded me to wash my chance to play again. for the International Team. raised. Generally speaking, it’s fun,” he said. ful career thus far, which includes hands often and wear masks,” he “I really loved the atmosphere of “I have conducted a review of worth a read.” He misses competition “a lot”, the two victories on the European said. the Presidents Cup which you my whole career and had a lot of The break from life on tour has however, and cannot wait to tee it Tour. He won three times on the “We lost lives every day. All won’t know until you’ve been talks with my family and friends, enabled Li to continue a course in up again to get the adrenaline 2014 PGA Tour Series­China en industries got hurt and people got there. I didn’t have a great debut trying to find out where I can do Sports Training with Shenzhen flowing once more. “(I’ve missed) route to becoming the No 1 on the worried about jobs and income. I but I want to go back and prove better in the future,” said Li. “And University, and he has also spent the cheering crowds, all my developmental circuit. believe we will get over this in the myself.” Immelman eager to welcome more Chinese challengers

By CHUAH CHOO CHIANG ue to be so,” said Immelman when tition, the opponent, everything own right. He and a number of other he was unveiled as captain in April. that is taking place around them. guys … you look at Li Haotong, CT New International Team captain “You look at the history going But when it comes down to when Pan and Ben An, we can go down the Trevor Immelman is looking for­ back with (Shigeki) Maruyama and they really need to perform, they list of great Asian players who really ward to welcoming more Chinese (Joe) Ozaki and so many other great have the self­belief to back them­ are starting to make their mark in players to his squad’s ranks after Li Asian players, KJ (Choi) included, selves and pull it off. I see that in the world of golf,” said Immelman. Haotong’s historic Presidents Cup we’ve had a number of Asian players Sung­jae so far in his young career.” Other Asians who may well be on debut last year. on our team (last year), and they Immelman, who played in the Immelman’s radar include China’s Li become the first Chinese main­ performed brilliantly. 2005 and 2007 editions of the Presi­ Zhang Xinjun, who is enjoying a sec­ land golfer to play in the tourna­ “It really was a close­knit team … I dents Cup, knows the significance ond stint on the PGA Tour this sea­ ment last December when the really was impressed. You just have that Asia will bring to the Interna­ son and lies 59th on the FedExCup Internationals, bolstered by a strong to look at the young rookies, a man tionals’ quest for redemption and points list, and Korean Kim Si­woo, Asian contingent, were agonizingly in his young 20s, Im Sung­jae. glory. The Internationals’ lone vic­ who featured in the 2017 edition, thwarted by a dramatic final­day, “The way he performed, it was so tory in the series dates back to which was the year he won The Play­ Tiger Woods­inspired comeback much fun to see. And then when it 1998. ers Championship. from the United States. mattered, he went out against these Having competed across Asia “We had an amazing chemistry in Immelman’s predecessor as cap­ players and performed brilliantly, throughout his career, the 41­year­ our team room down in Australia,” tain, Ernie Els, introduced a new and then you look at his form subse­ old is also keeping an eye out for said Immelman. “And it translated team culture, passion and logo to quently and at The Honda Classic, International Team captain Ernie Els consults with his assistant, new talents from further afield on to the golf course, where our guys unify an International team made just so, so impressive.” Trevor Immelman, during last year’s Presidents Cup in Australia. apart from those who compete regu­ really did compete as one unit. up of many different countries and Asia was well represented in the New captain Immelman is confident the Internationals can pull of larly on the PGA Tour. “I think what Ernie did for our regions. And despite the painful last International Team with Li of an upset at next year’s edition at Quail Hollow in the US. GETTY IMAGES One such young star who has team, giving us something to build 16­14 loss, a new spirit was born the Chinese mainland, CT Pan of caught his attention is Thailand’s off of, we sure are hoping that is which Immelman believes will see Chinese Taipei, Japanese star 24­year­old Jazz Janewattananond, going to be some kind of turning the Internationals carry the Hideki Matsuyama, South Korean points from his five matches to leave ty trait where he is incredibly hum­ who won four times on the Asian point for our team to where we can momentum to next year’s edition at duo An Byeong­hun (aka Ben An) Immelman mightily impressed. The ble but has a lot of inner self­belief. Tour last season and is ranked 39th find a way to finally win it again.” Quail Hollow in North Carolina. and Im contributing 10 points in captain is even tipping the South For me, those have always been my in the world. “The Asian players have always total. Korean to become one “of the great­ favorite kinds of athletes to watch “You look at a guy like Jazz, who’s The writer is the senior director of been a very, very important part of Im was the standout Asian player, est golfers in the world”. because you know they’re going to climbed his way into the top 50 and communications for the PGA Tour our team makeup. They will contin­ with the 22­year­old scoring 3.5 “Sung­jae has a unique personali­ have so much respect for the compe­ playing some beautiful golf in his and is based in Kuala Lumpur.