AUGUSTA, Ga. — If this were a random PGA Tour event, there’s a good chance Haotong Li never makes it to the golf course this morning. But this is the Masters at Augusta National, where players will power through just about any injury, illness or other miscellaneous off-the-course issue in order to play four rounds.
By the sound of it, though, nobody would have blamed Li if he pulled out.
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Li, 30, shot a three-under 69 on Friday, a performance that shocked even himself after some late-night bathroom issues.
“I am [surprised], actually,” Li said. “Especially went to the toilet last night a lot of times, and this morning when I got to the golf course and still feeling really bad and kind of, like, live in the toilet.”
Oof. There’s a bad stomach situation and then there is living in the toilet. Wouldn’t wish living in the toilet on my worst enemy.
As Li said, the ailment even carried over into the morning, affecting his normal warm-up. It was so bad that he did actually consider the idea of calling it quits for the week.
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“I didn’t hit many balls on the driving range,” he said. “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.
“So glad I survived today.”
The first few holes included an early birdie on No. 2, but Li fell back to even par with two bogeys at the fourth and seventh holes. He soldiered on, shooting a four-under 32 on the second nine, which will have him in the top 10 heading into the weekend.
Nothing cures living-in-the-toilet disease like a few birdies coming into the clubhouse at the Masters.
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“Major makes me feeling good,” said Li.
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