Li Haotong is eager to compete on home soil as the Volvo China Open returns to the Race to Dubai schedule for the first time since 2019.
The Chinese golfer, who won the Volvo China Open in 2016, is enjoying a consistent 2024 season, sitting inside the top 50 on the Race to Dubai Rankings in Partnership with Rolex.
Li has made six cuts from six events this season, including a top-ten finish at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic.
Li Haotong: It feels great to be back in China. The game feels sharp right now and I’m playing solid. I have played well coming down the stretch over the last couple of weeks and I’ve been tested well.
I’m looking forward to this week and hopefully I can bring some impressive stuff. My confidence has grown recently, especially off the tee and I’m not struggling anymore. There are a few things to work on, but I have been playing much better. It’s going to be a good week back at home.
I have won this event before and I know what it takes to win in China. I also finished in solo fourth the last time I played here in 2019. I know if I play like I did back then, I will have a good chance again this week.
The Volvo China Open, co-sanctioned with the China Golf Association (CGA), will be held at Hidden Grace Golf Club, which has been a member of European Tour Destinations since 2019.
This week, 47 Chinese players are competing, including Chen Guxin, who earned his DP World Tour playing rights after topping the China Tour Order of Merit last season.
Frenchman Alexander Levy, a five-time DP World Tour winner, is aiming for his third Volvo China Open title, having won in 2014 and 2017.
Levy holds the course record at Hidden Grace Golf Club, where he shot a second-round 62 on his way to victory in 2014.
The French golfer has recently been active on the European Challenge Tour and enters the event after four consecutive top-ten finishes.
Also in the field is Hong Kong’s Taichi Kho, who is looking to make the most of his invite in the final event of the DP World Tour’s Asian Swing.
Kho turned professional last January and became the first golfer from Hong Kong to compete in The 151st Open Championship at Royal Liverpool Golf Club last year.
Sweden’s Sebastian Söderberg now leads the Asian Swing Rankings after two consecutive runner-up finishes.
He aims to secure a spot in the US PGA Championship by staying at the top of the rankings at the conclusion of the Volvo China Open.
The top three players on the Asian Swing Rankings earn a place in the prestigious major tournament.
The leading DP World Tour member not otherwise exempt will also qualify for the Genesis Scottish Open.
The Asian Swing Rankings winner will receive $200,000 and gain entry to the Back Nine events, offering a unique opportunity for golfers to make a name for themselves in the golf world.
