China's Haotong Li Seals Qatar Masters Title In Dramatic Fashion

Doha: China's Haotong Li sealed his fourth European Tour title in dramatic fashion at the 28th Commercial bank Qatar Masters, sinking a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to edge out Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen by a single stroke yesterday.

Li carded a final-round 3-under 69 at picturesque Doha golf Club, bringing his total to 16-under, while Neergaard-Petersen fell just short with 65.

“I'm just so pleased I made that putt on the last,” Li said after his win.

“I'm just very glad I closed out nicely.”

Overnight leader Li got off to a dream start on Sunday, tapping in for a birdie at the first after just missing his long eagle try.

He backed that up with a second successive birdie, holing from seven feet to reach 15 under.

A series of confident par saves followed before Li made his first bogey of the day on the par-three eighth.

Haotong Li of China poses with the Mother of Pearl trophy after winning the Commercial Bank Qatar Masters title.

But he responded with a close-range birdie on the ninth to head to the turn with a two-shot lead.

Li then rode his luck in the early part of the back nine as he got a fortunate bounce off the rocks at the tenth on his way to making a par there.

A bogey followed on the 11th after Li cleared the green but he enjoyed another slice of luck on the 12th as he got a good lie in the wood chippings before his approach shot clung onto the putting surface and he made a bonus birdie from nearly 30 feet to move two in front once more.

Having just been joined at the summit by a charging Neergaard-Petersen, Li surrendered the lead altogether with a bogey on the 15th but once again managed to recover with a bounce-back birdie at the next.

He went agonisingly close to picking up another shot on the 17th but his lengthy birdie try just missed, while Neergaard-Petersen had to settle for a birdie at the last after his long eagle effort evaded the hole.

Li headed to the 18th tee knowing a birdie was required to put his name on the trophy and despite missing the green in two, he managed to get up and down from the sand for a closing birdie, winning in similar style to his previous victory at the 2022 BMW International Open, where he also holed a long putt to win.

An emotional Li said:“It means a lot. I never thought I could come back in this position.

“Even after yesterday, I felt like this morning was really stressed. I'm guaranteed to celebrate this one nicely. Definitely going to enjoy that,” the 29-year-old said.

Speaking after the hugely successful 28th edition of the tournament, Qatar Golf Association President Hamad Abdullah Al Mana expressed his great satisfaction with the tournament.

He highlighted the strong competition, which made the event more exciting and challenging for participants at Doha Golf Club.

Al Mana noted that the positive feedback from players and European Tour officials reflects Qatar's excellent organisation and professionalism in hosting major international sports events.

He also stressed the importance of Qatari players taking part in such prestigious tournaments, emphasizing that their skills continue to improve each year. The federation remains committed to making each edition better than the last.

Al Mana thanked the Qatar Olympic Committee, sponsors, organisers, and media for their valuable support and coverage, especially of golf.

Joseph Abraham, Group Chief Executive Officer at Commercial Bank, stated:“As we conclude our 28th edition of Commercial Bank Qatar Masters, we continue to position Qatar as a premier sports hub for international sporting events.”

Hussein Al Abdullah, EGM of Marketing and CB Real Estate at Commercial Bank said:“This year's tournament was very special to us because we are celebrating 50 years of banking excellence and digital brilliance – both of which define the very nature of our business. Commercial Bank is proud to always gear its efforts towards the Nation's goals, whether it's becoming a prime hub in the sports industry or a leader in the financial landscape.”

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