Asian Tour: Li Haotong, Taichi Kho set for pre-National Games clash at Macau Open
China’s top men’s golfer and Hongkonger Kho in field for next month’s Asian Tour event
Li Haotong and Taichi Kho were already expected to battle each other once for gold this season at the National Games in Hong Kong, and now they are going to fight it out at the SJM Macau Open too.
The pair have signed on for next month’s Asian Tour event, which also includes Im Sung-jae, Lee Westwood and defending champion Rattanon Wannasrichan in a 144-man field.
With other members of the Hong Kong and mainland Chinese teams expected to take part, and local star Kelvin Si Ngai also looking to lay down a marker for his city, there is a Games warm-up brewing at Macau Golf and Country Club.
Li, who finished fourth at this year’s Open Championship and before that won the Qatar Masters, said he was looking forward to having another crack at an event he last played in 2023, when he missed the cut.
“I am having a great season so far and hope to play well enough at the SJM Macau Open to secure my second title in 2025,” said the 30-year-old, who will represent Guangdong at the Games.
Kho, meanwhile, tied for sixth in 2023 and again in March this year at the International Series Macau event. Aside from a blip in Taiwan last week, the Hongkonger has been in fine form of late, finishing second at the Indonesia Open and in joint fourth at the Shinhan Donghae Open in South Korea.