Published July 17, 2008 on February 14, 2019

China’s Li Haotong Consolidates Second Place Position in International Team

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China’s rising star Li Haotong has moved closer towards an historic first International Team appearance in the Presidents Cup to face the United States Team following his recent runner-up finish at the Saudi International.

The 23-year-old jumped into second position on the International Team standings following his valiant title run in the European Tour event where he finished only behind American Dustin Johnson. Two years ago, Li was 14^th on the International Team standings, thanks to a third-place finish at The Open Championship where he shot a final round 63 in the company of Ernie Els, who is the International Team captain.

“I have been wanting to get onto that team for the last two years. I couldn’t make it then although I came close. This time, I am close again and I want to be in. It will mean a lot to be on that team,” said Li, who is a two-time European Tour winner.

“The special thing is if you make the team, you know you have played really solid over a span of time. It’ll be special to play for Ernie. I played with him at the British Open and he’s always supported my career a lot since then. He’ll be a good captain. It’s going to be a huge honour for us, and hopefully, I can get on the team and win the event.”

Elsewhere in the International Team standings, Jason Day finished T4 in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am to move inside the coveted top 8 at No. 7, while 2017 Presidents Cup rookie Si Woo Kim jumped from No. 45 to No. 21 with a T4 result of his own.

South Africa’s Branden Grace also moved into the Presidents Cup conversation at No. 10 in the International Team standings following his runner-up finish at the Waste Management Phoenix Open two weeks ago. A three-time Presidents Cup competitor, Grace owns a 6-6-2 overall record and became the fifth player in Presidents Cup history to post a 5-0 record with his stellar play at the 2015 Presidents Cup in Korea. That year, Grace partnered with fellow South African Louis Oosthuizen to win four points and finished off the flawless performance with a 2-and-1 Singles victory over Matt Kuchar.

Marc Leishman, who earned his fourth PGA TOUR victory at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia in October, remains atop the International Team standings as he looks to secure his fourth successive Presidents Cup appearance.

U.S. Presidents Cup veterans Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler both moved inside the top 10 in the U.S. points standings following victories at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Waste Management Phoenix Open, respectively. Mickelson, who claimed his 44^th career PGA TOUR title and fifth victory at Pebble Beach, moved from No. 14 to No. 6 with the three-stroke win, while Fowler held on at TPC Scottsdale to win his fifth career title over South Africa’s Branden Grace and moved to No. 10.

Mickelson, 48, has competed in every Presidents Cup and is in position to earn his 13^th consecutive berth on the U.S. Team. Having played in more matches than any player in Presidents Cup history (51), Mickelson boasts a 26-16-13 record and owns the second-most match victories behind Woods (24).

Fowler is in search of his third Presidents Cup appearance after qualifying for both the 2015 and 2017 teams. Following a 1-3-0 result in his debut, Fowler earned 3.5 points for the U.S. Team at Liberty National. Fowler partnered with Justin Thomas in each of his three team matches to win 2.5 points before defeating Emiliano Grillo in Singles, 6 and 4.

Fowler battled Grace twice in 2017, and the two renewed acquaintances atop the leaderboard at the Waste Management Phoenix Open. After beginning the final round seven back of Fowler, Grace took the outright lead after a birdie on the 13^thhole with Fowler struggling. But a late bogey on the par-4 17^th combined with two birdies in the final four holes from Fowler derailed the comeback bid.

On the U.S. side, Xander Schauffele continues to lead the standings thanks in part to two victories on the season. He is trailed by Thomas, who moved into second following a solo-third performance at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

The Presidents Cup will return to Melbourne, Australia and The Royal Melbourne Golf Club for the third time, December 9-15, 2019, when the International Team, led by Captain Ernie Els, will take on the U.S. Team led by Captain Tiger Woods.