News All Articles
Li feeling comfortable at 13th Beach
News

Li feeling comfortable at 13th Beach

Li Haotong believes that 13th Beach Golf Club can suit his game this week as he goes in search of a third European Tour win at the 2020 ISPS Handa Vic Open.

Li Haotong

The event is played over two courses, with the Creek and Beach playing host over days one and two before all players head to the links style Beach Course over the weekend.

Li was catapulted to global fame when he carded a closing 63 to finish third in The Open Championship at Royal Birkdale in 2017, and the Chinese is not ruling out a similar success this week.

"Especially on this course, it's just very similar," he said. "There’s a lot of fade shots so you have to keep your ball lower and hit more fairways. If you do that you're going to have birdie chances.

"I think the game's getting there, there are just little bits and pieces I need to put it together, I need to be sharper."

There’s a lot of fade shots so you have to keep your ball lower and hit more fairways. If you do that you're going to have birdie chances

The ISPS Handa Vic Open is the first event on the 2020 Race to Dubai to feature both male and female players, with the men's and women's events running concurrently on the same course for equal prize money.

The GolfSixes has a history of featuring both men and women and in the summer the European Tour will break new ground as 78 men and 78 women compete for one trophy and one prize fund at the Scandinavian Mixed Hosted by Henrik & Annika.

This is the first time Li has played at a mixed event and he is delighted to see innovation being used to grow the game.

“This is my first time playing in a tournament like this but I think it's a great idea and to grow the game and let more people realise golf can be a little bit different," he said. "It's going to be an interesting week but I'm enjoying it so far.”

Read next