AUSTIN, Texas -- He shot a 63 on a major Sunday, stared down newly crowned THE PLAYERS champion Rory McIlroy and earned the respect of Justin Rose and Dustin Johnson after head-to-head duels.

Meet HaoTong Li – China’s rising star in professional golf.

The 23-year-old tees it up in the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play this week knowing he has another great opportunity to check a few boxes in his burgeoning career.

Amongst U.S. sports fans, Li is still an unknown entity, but those who follow the European Tour know him a lot better following two victories on the circuit, along with many other eye-catching top performances.

Interestingly, Li’s first brush with golf was by chance when his father asked him to accompany a friend’s son to the driving range when he was 10 years old. While Li got hooked to the game, the other boy did not.

“That son is now in the military,” said Li.

The chance brush with golf has set the young Chinese up for stardom. After playing on the national amateur team, Li turned professional in 2011 at the age of 16, which was during a period when China’s first golf trailblazer, Lian-Wei Zhang, was winding down his career.

Li’s rise has been speedy. He won the inaugural PGA TOUR Series-China Order of Merit in 2014 to earn promotion onto the Web.com Tour, claimed a maiden European Tour win on home soil in 2016 before finishing an impressive third at The Open Championship following a closing 63 at Royal Birkdale in 2017. It was the best finish by a Chinese golfer in a major.

Early last year, Li created more headlines with a second European Tour triumph when he defeated McIlroy in Dubai, rallying from two shots back with eight holes remaining to secure a memorable win that propelled him into the world’s top 50 for the first time.

“His game speaks for itself,” said Rose, the reigning FedExCup champion. “He’s got great technique, he’s confident and he’s not afraid to go low as we’ve seen it in major championships. HaoTong just needs times … he’s a brilliant player. He’s got the potential to be a major champion in the future for sure.”

Added Rose, who defeated Li in a playoff in Turkey last November: “What I like about HaoTong is he works really hard. I see him in the gym away from the tournament … he’s always working hard. He misses the cut and he stays around to practice. He’s got good work ethics.

Li reinforced his credentials further with a runner-up finish at the Saudi Arabia International in February, finishing just two shots behind World No. 1 Johnson after climbing into contention with a third-round 62 that included four eagles. Li’s strong performance in Saudi Arabia enhanced his prospects of qualifying for the International Team at the Presidents Cup against the United States in Australia on Dec. 9-15.

He currently sits in fourth position on the team standings, with Captain Ernie Els already keeping close tabs on him.

Johnson was impressed with the way Li handled himself during the final round in the Middle East.

“He’s been out here a few years now and everyone knows him. He’s got a good game, a really good talented young player and he’s going to be out here for a very long time,” said the American superstar. “He does everything pretty well, hits it pretty long and has a good short game to back it up.”

Behind the tenacity driven by a desire to play his way onto the PGA TOUR, Li’s youthfulness has made him the joker of the pack where fellow competitors and media officials have encountered rib-tickling moments with his antics.

Arjun Atwal, the only Indian winner to date on the PGA TOUR, said this side of Li proved vital for the Asian team that narrowly lost to Europe in the EurAsia Cup in Malaysia last year.

“In our team room, HaoTong made us laugh 100 percent, he can contribute towards the International Team. It was easy to pair him up with anybody and he was supremely confident. He didn’t lose any matches (Li won 2-1/2 points from three matches) and he made good putts on the final holes to win and showed a lot of grit,” said Atwal, who was the Asian captain.

On the practice range and inside the ropes, Li is all business and focused on the tasks in front of him. Firmly established now in Europe, he is seeking to break new frontiers. First up is getting his hands on a PGA TOUR card and then hopefully becoming the first Chinese golfer to earn a spot in the Presidents Cup.

Els enjoyed a front row seat when Li produced the fireworks at Royal Birkdale. “He's a confident young man. He’s the new breed of Chinese power golfers and has a great attitude. Li can be a great addition to my team,” said Els.

This week, Li arrives for his second WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club with the intention to solidify his match play reputation. In last year’s debut, he lost all three group matches -- to Charl Schwartzel, Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed.

“I am more assured of myself now. I feel like the things I thought I might not be able to do can actually be achieved. I also have a sense that I am getting closer and closer to the best fields in the world. I hope I can be better and play well on the PGA TOUR,” he said.

“On the PGA TOUR, you feel like a king playing golf. It’s very big and exciting.”

As with most Chinese kids who are taught to remember their roots, Li is appreciative of the early playing opportunities he received from the PGA TOUR Series-China and Web.com Tour, which he said helped sharpen his competitive teeth.

“It meant a lot to me. That opened the door to a career outside of China. Without the experience there, I might still be playing in China right now. That Tour (PGA TOUR Series-China) was so great for me. It changed my life. The Web.com Tour was such a good experience,” he said.

Li took great pride in representing China at the ISPS HANDA Melbourne World Cup of Golf in Australia last November. After the event, he joined Els and several other prospective team members to unveil the new International Team logo at Royal Melbourne Golf Club. The logo now features the country’s flag of each player within the team emblem which has fired Li up.

“To have our country’s flag featured in the middle of the logo is fantastic,” he said. “I really hope I can get in and contribute to the International Team. It will be a milestone for golf in China.”

Indeed, Li’s journey in the game is worth following for sure.