He has a million dollar smile, a winning golf swing and, after romping to the Volvo China Open title in Beijing, now Li Haotong has the world (or certainly one sixth of its population) at his feet.
The frenzied atmosphere at Topwin Golf and Country Club in the wake of his spectacular three-shot triumph was the kind rarely witnessed in the world of golf – it was more akin to the world of pop music.
Having given several signs of his considerable ability in the last 12 months - not least his top ten finish in the WGC-HSBC Champions late last year - Li is becoming a superstar in China, a country which doesn’t take its home-grown international success stories lightly.
One hint of the kind of adulation bestowed upon Chinese sports stars who make it big abroad was when Per Eriksson, President of Volvo Event Management, was speaking at a media dinner during the week at Topwin. When he announced one prize-winning journalist, eruptions of laughter and cheering rose from the crowd.
The name of the journalist in question? Yao Ming. Being a namesake of the former basketball giant from China – who found fame and fortune in the USA’s NBA - is almost enough to make you famous over here.
Li has a long way to go yet if he is to reach those heights, but there is no doubting he possesses all the ingredients.
His performance under the shadow of the Great Wall of China was one befitting the majestic surroundings. It would be inaccurate, though, to describe the 20 year old’s final-day ascent to the summit as coolness personified. That’s just not his way.
Bouncing around the golf course as though the pressure and expectation surrounding him were merely dust in the wind, his boundless youthful enthusiasm and love for the occasion was impossible not to enjoy.
We first came to see his potential a year ago at the Shenzhen International, where he was two shots clear when he signed his scorecard on the final day at Genzon Golf Club.
All nervous smiles and rubbing hands, Li’s emotional wait in front of a television in the recording hut was almost as entertaining as the performance out on the course of eventual winner Kiradech Aphibarnrat. The Thai eagled the 17th to force a play-off and he beat the home favourite at the first extra hole.
Perhaps inspired by the efforts of his countryman, the following week Wu Ashun became the first Chinese player to win on home soil when he claimed the Volvo China Open, and better still was to follow for Li when, later in the year, he recorded the highest finish by a Chinaman in World Golf Championship history, tied seventh at the WGC-HSBC Champions in Shanghai.
A few days after that feat, Li said: "Last week was like an explosion. That really was a career-high for me, and I hope it was a turning point for me to do even better down the line."
Mission accomplished.
Now, with a full European Tour exemption secured, he will turn his attention to the Official World Golf Ranking and qualifying for the Olympic Games. Sealing a place in Rio would crank his superstar rating up another notch in China, where Olympic medals are enough to ensure you never have to pay for a round at the bar ever again.
Li Haotong is making a massive breakthrough for the game of golf in China, breaking down barriers and attracting huge new audiences in the world’s most populous nation. Now it’s time for the world to sit up and take notice.
