"Haotong Li who?" - Chinese golfer's request to Scottie Scheffler gets a hilarious response at The Open

China’s Haotong Li shot a one-under 70 at Royal Portrush on Sunday to secure a T-4 finish at The Open Championship 2025. The 29-year-old, who started the major as World No.111, was paired alongside No.1 Scottie Scheffler. Following the event, the European tour regular said he enjoyed playing with the champion golfer.

Li revealed that the duo had a good time inside the ropes, even cracking jokes at each other. The Chinese golfer, who dubbed securing Scheffler’s phone number as an achievement, said he even asked for practice rounds together on the PGA Tour. He called The Open champion "super calm" and said the latter had a hilarious response to being asked if he’d revert to his text later on.

He said Scheffler replied, “Haotong who?" taking a "funny" jibe at his expense.

Speaking about his final round with Scottie Scheffler, Haotong Li said, as quoted by ASAP Sports:

“It was actually super calm and he's such a lovely guy to play with. We did a joke about each other a little bit and just so nice to play with him…

I just said, is there any time I can practice with you when I go to the PGA Tour, and he said yes. But I said, when I text you, you better reply to me, and he goes, ‘Haotong who?’ That was actually funny. Just a lovely guy to play with, and I enjoyed.”

For the unversed, both Li and Scheffler will be at Augusta for the Masters next year. It’ll be interesting to see if the Chinese golfer gets a practice round with the four-time major winner, as the latter promised on Sunday.

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Li's special note to Scottie Scheffler after The Open

Scottie Scheffler won his first Open Championship title, beating a stacked field on Sunday. The 29-year-old shot a three-under 68 in the final round to finish 17 under par. He ended the final major of the year, four shots clear of fellow American Harris English. He lifted the prestigious Claret Jug, raising questions on a possible dominant run that could even surpass Tiger Woods’ victories.

Haotong Li, who finished six shots below the leader, was among the first to laud the champion golfer on the field. The Chinese star also shared a congratulatory note to his playing partner on social media. The 4x European Tour winner applauded the latter for a “well-deserved victory” in Northern Ireland while sharing pictures of them from the weekend.

His praiseworthy note to the major champion came while he recapped his own The Open weekend outing.

“Final group on Sunday is something else. Congrats to Scottie for a well-deserved victory. Thank you #TheOpen - truly a week to remember and cherish, and the start of a new journey!” Li wrote on Instagram.

For the unversed, Li has landed an invitation for next year's Masters after an impressive T4 finish at The Open. He also jumped to third in the DP World Tour's Race to Dubai rankings, a position enabling him to be eligible for a PGA Tour card next year.