Haotong Li endured a dramatic collapse on the 13th hole during the final round of the Masters in Augusta, Georgia, carding a quintuple-bogey 10 that derailed his tournament. Playing partner Scottie Scheffler waited patiently as Li's ball ricocheted into bushes across Rae’s Creek, leading to multiple mishaps including improper drops and putts into the water. The incident, witnessed by patrons but not aired on television, highlighted the perils of Augusta National.
On Sunday afternoon at Augusta National, Haotong Li's approach shot on the par-5 13th hole with a 3-wood veered into Rae’s Creek. The ball ricocheted off a rock and lodged deep in bushes on the far bank. Li's caddie, Jady de Beer, crossed the creek to retrieve it amid shouts of guidance from the gallery, as first detailed by Golf.com reporter James Colgan who observed from nearby. Li attempted a chip from the thicket, but the ball barely moved, embedding deeper and forcing an unplayable lie declaration after intervention from a rules official over an improper pickup outside the penalty area. Li zigzagged the creek for a proper drop before pitching safely left of the green, only to putt aggressively past the hole and into the water—his eighth stroke. Two more putts followed, with the ninth missing low, before a tap-in sealed the 10. The sequence, lasting over 25 minutes, delayed World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler's crucial pitch to 11 feet for a birdie chance amid his tight battle with leader Rory McIlroy. Scheffler remained composed despite the holdup, while the crowd issued Bronx cheers at Li's escape. Li, who stood at 4-under par entering the hole, fell to 1-over and out of contention. Patrons described the ordeal as traumatic, with one saying, “I always thought I wanted to play this hole. Now I’m not so sure.” CBS opted not to broadcast the meltdown.
