Li living dream after Dubai win

Li Haotong is poised for a rocket ride up the world golf rankings.

"Last night, my phone was exploding. Seriously. And there were so many messages saying 'Oh, Haotong', on the website or whatever," the 22-year-old from Hunan province said after holding off four-time major winner Rory McIlroy to win the Omega Dubai Desert Classic by a single stroke on Sunday, denying the Northern Irishman's bid to win his first title in 17 months.

Li claimed his first European Tour title at the China Open in 2016 and then stunned the golf world with an impressive third-place finish at last year's British Open.