China's Li Haotong Battles Illness To Reach Masters Contention With 69
Key Takeaways
- Li Haotong battled illness overnight, reportedly spending extended time in the bathroom before Round 2.
- Second round elevated Li into Masters contention.
- Birdied four straight holes 13-16 Friday to finish 4-under.
Li's Illness and Resilience
Li Haotong battled through severe illness at the 2026 Masters, spending the morning living in the toilet.
He powered through a second-round 69 that propelled him into contention at four under par.
Li started with a birdie on the first hole but was one over at the turn after bogeys on four and seven.
He landed four successive birdies on 13, 14, 15 and 16 to push high up the leaderboard.
Li admitted he didn't hit many balls on the driving range and was feeling really, really bad.
Birdie Streak and Recovery
Li sank a nine-foot putt on 13 to begin his hot streak.
He nearly holed a 150-foot approach iron on 14 to leave himself a tap-in for birdie.
On the par-five 15th, Li threaded an extraordinary recovery wedge through the trees.
He completed the run by barely missing a hole-in-one on the par-three 16th.
Li called the 15th his best moment and joked, Major makes me feel good.
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