Tokyo 2020: Carl Yuan Yuchen passes Li Haotong as China’s No 1 golfer, on course for Olympics

Tied-7th finish in Knoxville sees 24-year-old leapfrog Li in OWGR rankings and puts him on track to earn PGA Tour card

Leapfrogging Li as Chinese No 1 puts Yuan on plane for Olympics golf tournament this summer

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Carl Yuan Yechun of China plays his shot from the second tee during the Visit Knoxville Open at Holston Hills Country Club in Knoxville, Tennessee. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:29pm, 17 May 2021Updated: 4:29pm, 17 May 2021

China’s Carl Yuan Yechun fired himself to another Korn Ferry International Tour top-10 finish and surpassed Li Haotong as the country’s top golfer.

That puts Yuan in the driving seat for China’s spot at the men’s Olympic golf tournament just five weeks before the golfers are confirmed.

His place on the 60-player list of current qualifiers at the expense of Li is expected to be confirmed when the next weekly update of the rankings takes place later today.

Former world top 50 player Li was 60th on that latest list up to May 10, having dropped from an Olympic qualifying high of 32nd. Fellow Chinese golfer Wu Ashun – who played at the Rio 2016 Games with Li – has previously been inside the Tokyo 2020 top 60.

Yuan plays his shot on the first hole during the third round of the Visit Knoxville Open at Holston Hills Country Club. Photo: AFP

Yuan was on the latest Olympic Reallocation Reserve List as first replacement for world No 11 and Olympic No 8 Victor Hovland, which gives hope that China could yet have two golfers in the men’s tournament.