体坛英语新闻：Li Haotong confident in advance of Augusta National

BERLIN, April 10 (Xinhua) -- German golf legend Bernhard Langer says he is impressed by the progress made by Chinese golf professional Li Haotong over the past 12 months.

"He will make his way," the 61-year-old commented at a sponsor's event in advance of the 83rd edition of the U.S. Masters that begins on Thursday in Augusta, Georgia.

Despite their age gap, Langer and 23-year-old Li share the same passion for golf. Both players admitted to having special feelings ahead of the first major championship on the 2019 golfing calendar.

Li will benefit from the experience he gained last year when he finished joint 32nd on his Masters debut, according to Langer, who triumphed in Augusta in 1985 and 1993.

The two-time green jacket winner shared his memories of teeing up at the Masters for the first time in high spirits, while Li revealed his first impressions of Augusta and spoke about his expectations for 2019 after having won six tournaments, including two on the European tour, since turning professional in 2011.

Li emphasized that he had learned a lot about not rushing things on the golf course. "I learned how to play on the toughest greens in the world and I learned that staying patient is very helpful."

The Chinese golfer told Xinhua he was happy to be back at Augusta, saying it is one of golf's most important tournaments and a unique experience for every professional. "Last year felt somehow unreal and even better than watching on TV."

He added that he didn't expect to perform so well last year, going under 70 in his first round. "I was pleased to shoot 60s there and hopefully I can do that again."

In advance of 2019 edition, Li said he hadn't changed much regarding game and training, but nevertheless has the impression "that my short game has improved and my golf, in general, got better. So now, even though my game is not quite where it can be, I can play some decent golf. I think that is the biggest difference compared with last year."

Langer named Tiger Woods and Rory Mcllroy as his favorites to win the 2019 edition, but cautioned that "the changes made on the course are a serious challenge for all competitors," adding that narrow fairways, 5,000 new trees and new roughs forcing the players to be more precise with their shots.

The 2019 Augusta National Masters will be held from April 11 to 14 at the Augusta National Golf Club in Georgia, USA. Enditem