Li closing on 'huge' piece of history

Chinese star's hot form moves him nearer Presidents Cup qualification

China's rising star Li Haotong has moved a step closer to a historic Presidents Cup appearance after his recent runner-up finish at the Saudi International.

The 23-year-old is now placed second on the International Team standings following his valiant title challenge at the European Tour event at the start of the month, when he finished two shots behind winner Dustin Johnson.

The top eight players come Aug 25 will earn automatic qualification for Ernie Els' International Team to face the United States in Melbourne, Australia, from Dec 9-15. Els will also include four wildcards.

If Li makes the cut, he will become the first Chinese to play in the Presidents Cup, which has been held biennially since 1994.

Two years ago, Li missed out on selection but was a commendable 14th in the standings after his breakout third-place finish at the British Open in the company of Els.

"I have been wanting to get onto that team for the last two years. I couldn't make it then although I came close. This time, I am close again and I want to be in. It will mean a lot to be on that team," said Li, who is a two-time European Tour winner.

"The special thing is if you make the team, you know you have played really solid over a span of time.

"It'll be special to play for Ernie. I played with him at the British Open and he's always supported my career a lot since then. He'll be a good captain. It's going to be a huge honor for us, and hopefully I can get on the team and win the event."

Elsewhere, Australia's Jason Day finished tied for fourth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in California to move up to No 7 in the International standings, while 2017 Presidents Cup rookie Kim Si-woo of South Korea jumped from 45th to 21st after also tying for fourth at Pebble Beach.

South Africa's Branden Grace moved into the mix at No 10 following his runner-up finish at the Waste Management Phoenix Open two weeks ago. A three-time Presidents Cup competitor, Grace owns a 6-6-2 overall record and became the fifth player in the event's history to post a 5-0 record with his stellar play at the 2015 tournament in South Korea.

That year, Grace partnered with compatriot Louis Oosthuizen to win four points and finished off the flawless performance with a 2&1 singles victory over Matt Kuchar.

Another Aussie, Marc Leishman, who earned his fourth PGA Tour victory at the CIMB Classic in Malaysia in October, remains atop the International standings as he looks to secure his fourth successive Presidents Cup appearance.

On the American side, Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler both moved inside the top 10 on the US points list following victories at Pebble Beach and Phoenix, respectively.

Veteran Mickelson moved from 14th to sixth with his three-stroke triumph, while Fowler held on at TPC Scottsdale in Arizona to win his fifth career title ahead of Grace to rise to 10th.

The 48-year-old five-time major winner Mickelson has competed in every Presidents Cup and is in position to earn his 13th consecutive berth on the US Team.

Fowler is in search of his third Presidents Cup appearance after qualifying for both the 2015 and 2017 teams. Following a 1-3-0 result in his debut, Fowler earned 3.5 points for the US at Liberty National in New Jersey. Fowler partnered with Justin Thomas in each of his three pairs matches to win 2.5 points before defeating Emiliano Grillo in the singles.

Fowler battled Grace twice in 2017, and the two renewed acquaintances atop the Phoenix leaderboard. After beginning the final round seven back of Fowler, Grace took the outright lead after a birdie on the 13th hole. However, a late bogey on the par-4 17th combined with two birdies in the final four holes from Fowler derailed the comeback bid.

Xander Schauffele continues to lead the US standings thanks primarily to two victories this season. He is trailed by Thomas, who moved into second following a third-place finish in Phoenix.

The Presidents Cup will return to Royal Melbourne for the third time this December. The US Team will be captained by Tiger Woods.