Haotong Li Overcomes Illness for Top-5 Masters Finish

Augusta, Ga. Chinese golfer Haotong Li entered the final round of the 2026 Masters Tournament tied for fifth place, four shots behind co-leaders Rory McIlroy and Cameron Young, after overcoming a severe stomach illness that nearly forced him to withdraw during the second round.

The 30-year-old from Hunan, China, spent the night of April 9 repeatedly in the restroom, battling nausea and exhaustion. Arriving at Augusta National on April 10, Li felt so unwell that he limited his warm-up and planned to play only a few holes before deciding whether to continue. "Went to the toilet last night a lot of times," Li said after his second round. "And this morning when I got to the golf course, I was still feeling really bad and kind of, like, living in the toilet. I was feeling really, really bad. No energy, fuzzy, want to throw up something. I actually just planned to play a few holes, see how it goes. If really sick, then I probably just decide not to."

Despite the discomfort, Li posted a 3-under-par 69 in the second round, following his opening 1-under 71. He started with a birdie on the par-5 second hole, then bogeyed the fourth and seventh before rallying with four birdies around Amen...