The Solheim Cup star fell agonisingly short of a fourth Ladies European Tour (LET) title last time out losing to the Dubai-based German teenager in a playoff at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club.

Back in Saudi Arabia one year on, Hull is eyeing another big week as she looks to go one better and finish the season strong.

“It’s definitely a motivation,” the World No 8 said when asked about last year’s result. “So 100 per cent it would be fantastic to get a win. As anyone will say, it’s important to finish the season strong. So it would be good to do that and then go even stronger next year.

“I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve never played here before and it was my first time seeing the full 18 holes today. It’s a different golf course so different memories, but let’s go make some new ones.”

Hull, winner of the 2021 Aramco Team Series — New York Individual title, returns to the LET for the first time this week since helping Team Europe retain the Solheim Cup.

Since then, the Englishwoman took some time out to recover from a neck injury before finishing T40 at The Ascendant LPGA benefitting Volunteers of America — the site of her last career victory in 2022.

On the injury, Hull said: “My neck is now much better. I still feel like my swing is a little out of it, because before I was swinging to protect which got me into a bad habit. So I’m going to spend some time at the range today and straighten things out. Hopefully it will be good for the week ahead.”

Off the course, Hull is boosted this week by having her boyfriend with her in Saudi Arabia as well as best friend Georgia Hall, who is also returning to LET action for the first time since the Solheim Cup.

“It’s nice to have some home comforts,” the 27-year-old said. “I like visiting here. Me and my boyfriend went to downtown Riyadh last night, we hired a car so it’s been really good so far.”

In this week’s Team competition, Hull will once again play with Isabella Deilert after picking the Swede in the Draft on Wednesday. The duo are joined by France’s Emma Grechi.

Elsewhere, it was announced this week that Hull will be teeing up alongside fellow English star Justin Rose at the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational in December month — a new mixed team event co-sanctioned by the LPGA and PGA Tour.

“I only found out yesterday but I’m really excited for that,” Hull said. “It should be a lot of fun and it’s really cool what they’re doing there.”

Main image: Charley Hull. LET

By LET

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It’s a ridiculous age-old conceit that a man off the street can beat LPGA tour pros at their life’s calling. We hear it from time to time, but very rarely do we see such a push-back (and challenge) from the athletes themselves. Charley Hull seems to have had enough and went back at this unnamed man who seems to have quite masochistic tendencies.

It all started with a DM — doesn’t it always? — from this randomer to golf statistician Lou Stagner. Stagner thankfully pushed it out for the world to see.

I love some of the direct messages I get.

This guy would finish DFL in every single event. pic.twitter.com/obGFXKktwi

— Lou Stagner (Golf Stat Pro) (@LouStagner) September 11, 2023

“I am a 3 handicapper that plays from 6900 yards and I hit my driver 290,” the direct message reads. “I would make every cut on the LPGA and be a top20 playr.”

Lou Stagner posted the screenshot along with the caption “I love some of the direct messages I get. This guy would finish [dead last] in every single event.”

The claim was met with many an irritated comment. Some called the message “sexist.” Others wanted to see this individual embarrass himself.

Tell him I’ll arrange the match. He can name the course and the distance. I’ll pay for the lpga player to be there.

Any price he wants to play for.

— Monday Q Info (@acaseofthegolf1) September 11, 2023

What I love about this is the ability to just totally discount how much pressure you play under as a top 20 player (on any tour) …but apparently this guy is cool as a cucumber ? ?

— Greg Chalmers (@GregChalmersPGA) September 11, 2023

There were many strong replies but none as great as Hull, who took the challenge head-on and wants to get a match going. She even got a little trash talk going just to make things somehow more interesting.

Shall we sort this game out ? I’ll let him play off the red tees whilst I’ll play off the whites https://t.co/MAGfE4hprP

— Charley Hull (@HullCharley) September 11, 2023

“Shall we sort this game out?,” Hull asks. “I’ll let him play off the red tees whilst I’ll play off the whites.”

We’d love to see this pay-per-view match, as would the rest of Twitter it seems.

I’d binge episodes of Charley removing local club champs’ hubris until I went blind.

— Mark Baldwin (@markbaldwin1) September 11, 2023

I would give my left arm to watch this occur Live

— Hannah Gregg (@hannahbggg) September 12, 2023

We’ll come and film it

— Peter Finch (@PeterFinchGolf) September 11, 2023

As great as this all would be, especially during a quieter part of the golf season, it doesn’t look like the bold DMer will back up his claim. There hasn’t been a response to the challenge just yet. Hull might have been ghosted. Another win for real golfers everywhere.

Hull has won twice on the LPGA Tour, has been named Ladies European Tour Player of the Year and competed in Solheim Cup matches before the age of 18. Hopefully, the gambling powers that be release some odds, because we’re ready to bet the house on Hull.

The post Charley Hull challenges man behind ‘sexist’ message to round of golf appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

England’s Charley Hull made a late push to vie for the Kroger Queen City Championship on Sunday at Kenwood Country Club in Cincinnati, but ultimately it was Minjee Lee who topped Hull on the second hole of a playoff to collect her ninth career LPGA victory.

Lee was cruising with nine holes remaining but she made double bogey on the par-5 12th hole, then Hull birdied Nos. 14, 15 and 16 to end tied with Lee after regulation and the two went back to the 18th hole to settle the outcome. Both made par the first time, although Hull’s birdie putt from off the back of the green was a rotation short of going in, then Lee hit her approach, again on 18, to three feet to convert the birdie and the win. She took home a first-place prize of $300,000 from a $2 million overall purse.

The championship was the first of only four remaining full-field events on the LPGA schedule this year. The tour now breaks for two weeks for the Solheim Cup in Spain. Then, after stops in Arkansas and Texas, the tour shifts to a four-week Asia swing with limited-field tournaments before coming back in November for the end of the season.

In other words, for those trying to secure a place in the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship — or just make sure their cards locked up for 2024 — time is of the essence.

Here’s the prize money payouts for all the players who made the cut this week.

Win: Minjee Lee, 272/-16, $300,000
P-2: Charley Hull, 272/-16, $181,723
3: Ruoning Yin, 274/-14, $131,827
4: Ally Ewing, 276/-12, $101,979
T-5: Mel Reid, 277/-11, $56,545
T-5: Mi Hyang Lee, 277/-11, $56,545
T-5: Ariya Jutanugarn, 277/-11, $56,545
T-5: Yuka Saso, 277/-1, $56,545
T-5: Morgane Metraux, 277/-11, $56,545
T-5: Peiyun Chien, 277/-11, $56,545
T-11: Hye-Jin Choi, 278/-10, $34,921
T-11: Cydney Clanton, 278/-10, $34,921
T-11: Andrea Lee, 278/-10, $34,921
T-14: Frida Kinhult, 279/-9, $29,934
T-14: Madalene Sagstrom, 279/-9, $29,934
T-16: Alexa Pano, 280/-8, $25,934
T-16: Pavarisa Yoktuan, 280/-8, $25,934
T-16: Nasa Hataoka, 280/-8, $25,934
T-19: Xiyu Lin, 281/-7, $22,485
T-19: Esther Henseleit, 281/-7, $22,485
T-19: Lexi Thompson, 281/-7, $22,485
T-19: Gaby Lopez, 281/-7, $22,485
T-23: Brooke Henderson, 282/-6, $17,983
T-23: Jenny Shin, 282/-6, $17,983
T-23: Hae Ran Ryu, 282/-6, $17,983
T-23: Dani Holmqvist, 282/-6, $17,983
T-23: Mariah Stackhouse, 282/-6, $17,983
T-23: Yealimi Noh, 282/-6, $17,983
T-23: Perrine Delacour, 282/-6, $17,983
T-23: Paula Reto, 282/-6, $17,983
T-31: Emily Kristine Pedersen, 283/-5, $13,849
T-31: Moriya Jutanugarn, 283/-5, $13,849
T-31: Elizabeth Szokol, 283/-5, $13,849
T-31: Jennifer Kupcho, 283/-5, $13,849
T-31: Rose Zhang, 283/-5, $13,849
T-36: Azahara Munoz, 284/-4, $11,262
T-36: Narin An, 284/-4, $11,262
T-36: Nanna Koerstz Madsen, 284/-4, $11,262
T-36: Gabriela Ruffels, 284/-4, $11,262
T-36: Hinako Shibuno, 284/-4, $11,262
T-41: Lauren Coughlin, 285/-3, $8,681
T-41: Stephanie Kyriacou, 285/-3, $8,681
T-41: Samantha Wagner, 285/-3, $8,681
T-41: Dana Fall, 285/-3, $8,681
T-41: Yuna Nishimura, 285/-3, $8,681
T-41: Pernilla Lindberg, 285/-3, $8,681
T-41: Linnea Strom, 285/-3, $8,681
T-41: Lydia Ko, 285/-3, $8,681
T-49: Maria Fassi, 286/-2, $6,682
T-49: Stephanie Meadow, 286/-2, $6,682
T-49: Ruixin Liu, 286/-2, $6,682
T-49: Muni He, 286/-2, $6,682
T-49: Yan Liu, 286/-2, $6,682
T-49: Jasmine Suwannapura, 286/-2, $6,682
T-55: Weiwei Zhang, 287/-1, $5,571
T-55: Sarah Kemp, 287/-1, $5,571
T-55: Linnea Johansson, 287/-1, $5,571
T-55: Arpichaya Yubol, 287/-1, $5,571
T-55: Dewi Weber, 287/-1, $5,571
60: Sei Young Kim, 288/E, $4,975
T-61: Dottie Ardina, 289/+1, $4,676
T-61: Jaravee Boonchant, 289/+1, $4,676
T-61: Jeongeun Lee6, 289/+1, $4,676
T-61: A Lim Kim, 289/+1, $4,676
T-61: Gina Kim, 289/+1, $4,676
T-66: Lauren Hartlage, 290/+2, $4,228
T-66: Brittany Altomare, 290/+2, $4,228
T-66: Christina Kim, 290/+2, $4,228
T-66: Angel Yin, 290/+2, $4,228
T-70: Sydnee Michaels, 291/+3, $3,930
T-70: Olivia Cowan, 291/+3, $3,930
T-70: Jennifer Song, 291/+3, $3,930
T-73: Yu Liu, 292/+4, $3,805
T-73: Mariajo Uribe, 292/+4, $3,805
T-75: Ines Laklalech, 293/+5, $3,735
T-75: Gabriella Then, 293/+5, $3,668
T-75: Bailey Tardy, 293/+5, $3,664
T-75: Pornanong Phatlum, 293/+5, $3,664
79: Xiaowen Yin, 294/+6, $3,548
80: Lindy Duncan, 296/+8, $3,503

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Minjee Lee lost a five-shot lead in a six-hole span late on Sunday but recovered by making birdie on the second playoff hole to top Charley Hull to win the Kroger Queen City Championship. It’s Lee’s ninth victory but first this year. She shot one-under 71 to end at 16-under-par total. Hull, winner of two LPGA events, shot 69.

Leaderboard
Minjee Lee (-16) won on second playoff hole
Charley Hull (-16)
Ruoning Yin (-14)
Ally Ewing (-12)

Quotable
“I feel like I really deserve this one. I feel like it’s been a little bit of a long time coming after the US Open, and like the past few weeks I’ve been really close,” Lee said.

What it means
Minjee Lee had the best season of her career in 2022, winning twice — including the US Women’s Open — and reaching No. 2 in the world. But then the months started to tick by, and suddenly Lee hadn’t won in 15 months. “I think it’s always really hard to back up an amazing year with another really amazing year. You have high expectations, and I think managing that is probably the hardest thing because you know you’ve been there, so it’s like, Oh, why can’t I do that every week. But obviously you can’t because you’re human,” Lee said on Saturday. Coming to terms with how difficult it is to win seemed to be the key to unlocking yet another win for the Aussie. Her victory in Ohio is her first of 2023, and the ninth of her LPGA career.

Are you kidding?!

This incredible putt from @HullCharley kept her in the game. We're headed to the second playoff hole! pic.twitter.com/xwqOdJLRwm

— LPGA (@LPGA) September 10, 2023

How it happened
As Minjee Lee and Charley Hull stood on the 11th tee box of Kenwood Country Club in Cincinnati, Ohio, Lee appeared to be in control of the situation: She held a five-shot lead over Hull. But what happened over the next seven holes reminded us that being in control in one moment on the golf course means close to nothing. A double-bogey by Lee at the 12th followed by Hull’s three birdies in a row at 14, 15 and 16 brought the two level at 16-under. With both players parring the final two holes, they were sent back to the 18th tee for a sudden-death playoff.
On the first playoff hole, it looked like heroics from Hull’s putter would win it. After taking a drop from the grandstand beyond the green, Hull nearly holed an enormous putt from off the green:
Instead, Lee and Hull halved with pars and went to the 18th tee yet again. This time, Hull hit the green but Lee hit it closer. When Hull missed her birdie chance, Lee knocked in her two-footer for birdie and her ninth LPGA victory.

Best of the rest
Ruoning Yin finished solo third, marking the third tournament in a row where the 20-year-old finished in the top three. She is projected to become the new World No. 1, claiming the spot from Lilia Vu. This is Yin’s second year on tour. She won her first major earlier this year, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, where she became the second player from China to win a major. She also won the DIO Implant LA Open.

Biggest frustration
Charley Hull has played fantastic golf this season, but she’s leaving yet another LPGA event as the runner-up. This is the fourth time this year that Hull has finished runner-up, including twice in majors. Knocking on the door of a victory is better than finishing farther down the leaderboard, but at a certain it’s more about taking the trophy home.

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Suzann Pettersen has announced her four captain’s picks to round out the home team that’s trying to win an unprecedented third straight Solheim Cup for Europe next month in Spain. Much like the eight automatic qualifiers who locked up their spots two days earlier, Pettersen chose experience along with a fresh face, taking one rookie (Gemma Dryburgh) and three veterans (Madelene Sagstrom, Caroline Hedwal and Emily Kristine Pedersen). With the matches set for Finca Cortesin Resort in just four weeks (September 22-24), here’s what you need to know about the newest members of Europe’s Solheim Cup squad.

Madelene Sagstrom

Madelene Sagstrom. Jack Thomas

This is the 30-year-old’s third Solheim Cup, though it’ll be the first time she’ll play the event in Europe. The Swede was a stand-out on the Epson Tour, winning three times in 2016 and earning her LPGA Tour card for the 2017 season. She has won once on the LPGA Tour and is currently ranked No. 42 in the Rolex World Rankings. Her overall Solheim Cup record is 2-4-0.

Emily Kristine Pedersen

Emily Kristine Pedersen. Charlie Crowhurst/R&A

This is Pedersen’s third Solheim Cup as well and her first start in Europe, too. You may remember her as the player who holed the winning put for the Europeans when they closed out their upset victory at Inverness Club in 2021. The 27-year-old Dane has won five LET events in her career, including four in 2020 alone. Notably, she is one of the longest hitters on the LPGA Tour, averaging 273 yards off the tee. Her career Solheim Cup record is 3-4-0.

Caroline Hedwall

Caroline Hedwall. Getty Images

Hedwall is the most experienced of Pettersen’s picks, set to make her fifth appearance. The 34-year-old Swede who was a stand-out at Oklahoma State who played 10 years on the LPGA Tour but never claimed a title. She does have seven wins on the Ladies European Tour, the most recent coming late last year at the Andalucía Costa del Sol Open de España —  which was played about an hour from the 2023 Solheim Cup site.
“Having great memories from the end of last year in Andalucía, I hadn’t thought much about Solheim until I won and after that, it was a goal for the season,” Hedwall said. “I’m just really happy it became a reality and super pumped to play in Spain again.”
Her career Solheim Cup record is 8-6-1.

Gemma Dryburgh

Gemma Dryburgh. David Cannon

This is Dryburgh’s first Solheim Cup, though she has experience in team play, having competed in the 2014 Curtis Cup. The 30-year-old Scot played college golf at Tulane before turning professional in 2015. In 2022, she won the Toto Japan Classic, her first LPGA victory. She will make a good foursomes partner as she is one of the most accurate drivers of the golf ball on the LPGA Tour, hitting more than 82 pe rcent of fairways in the 2023 season.

Team Europe’s complete roster for the 2023 Solheim Cup

Celine Boutier
Maja Stark
Charley Hull
Leona Maguire
Georgia Hall
Linn Grant
Carlota Ciganda
Anna Nordqvist
Gemma Dryburgh
Caroline Hedwall
Emily Kristine Pedersen
Madelene Sagstrom

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With eight of the 12 players now locked in for Team Europe ahead of their Solheim Cup title defence, Suzann Pettersen and her side can now finally turn their attention fully to the challenge ahead as they welcome the American stars to Finca Cortesin in Spain next month.

France’s Celine Boutier, the Amundi Evian and Women’s Scottish open champion, is on fire right now and topped the LET Solheim Cup Points standings with 264.57 points thanks in part to those back-to-back victories.

“I’m really looking forward to being part of Team Europe at the 2023 Solheim Cup,” said the Frenchwoman, who made her Solheim Cup debut in 2019, is a two-time winner and has won 5.5 points in her seven matches at the previous two editions.

“It’s going to be such an enjoyable week and it’s always a lot of fun. I’ve had such a great year winning on the LPGA in March and then to get my first major title at Evian and to win in Scotland the week after.

“It’s been unbelievable and I’m so excited to have qualified to play in the Solheim Cup. To be able to share the week with my teammates and be able to compete for Europe on European soil for the first time since 2019 will be amazing.”

Celine Boutier. Stuart Franklin

The newly crowned major champion is joined by Sweden’s Maja Stark, who clinched the second spot with 262.42 points.

Stark, who turned professional in August 2021, has won six times on the LET in the past two years including the 2022 edition of the co-sanctioned ISPS Handa World Invitational which secured her membership of the LPGA Tour.

The 23-year-old was part of the Junior Solheim Cup team in 2017, just six years ago, and will now be teeing it up as a rookie at the 2023 Solheim Cup which takes place between September 22-24.

“It feels like there have been very many gradual steps towards this moment,” Stark said. “I have just been doing my job since turning professional to get to this point. It’s something I have wanted to do for a long time, to represent Team Europe at the Solheim Cup and I’m really looking forward to it. It’s going to be so much fun.”

Charley Hull. Warren Little/R&A

Six players have qualified to Team Europe via the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings with England’s Charley Hull leading the way.

This will be Hull’s sixth consecutive Solheim Cup, having made her debut aged 17 and she has been on the winning team on three occasions.

After an outstanding rookie performance in Toledo in 2021 where she earned 4.5 points out of 5, Ireland’s Leona Maguire returns to Team Europe.

Maguire said: “I’m really excited to be part of the European Team at this year’s Solheim Cup. I had an incredible time in Toledo, it was way beyond my expectations, but I can’t wait to be part of Team Europe on European soil and to play in front of home fans. It’s great to be flying the flag for Ireland once again and I hope to have lots of support in Spain.”

Georgia Hall. Getty

England’s Georgia Hall has qualified for her fourth Solheim Cup after making her debut in 2017 and being on the winning team for the past two editions.

There will be another rookie on the team as Linn Grant secured qualification for her first Solheim Cup in September in Spain.

The Swedish star has won five times on the LET in the past two seasons including at the 2022 Scandinavian Mixed where she became the first woman to win a DP World Tour event, and she recently secured her maiden victory on the LPGA Tour.

Grant explained: “I’m very proud. It’s the first Solheim Cup that I can play in and I’m in it which is pretty cool. It has obviously been a dream since I found out about the Solheim Cup. We’re a great team, I love Suzann and all our vice-captains, and I think we will have a really fun week. I’m looking forward to it.”

Spain will have a home hero in the team at Finca Cortesin as Carlota Ciganda will be making her sixth consecutive appearance for the European Team.

“The Solheim Cup is my favourite week of the year and to be able to play at home in Spain is a dream come true,” said Ciganda, who clinched her seventh LET title earlier this season.

“I love playing for the team and I am very excited to be able to play in front of home crowds. Hopefully, we will see a lot of girls come out and watch us play and I hope that we can inspire them for the future and for the next generations to come.”

Anna Nordqvist. Getty Images

While Anna Nordqvist will be a playing vice-captain in Spain after she secured her place in the final automatic qualifying spot via the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.

The Swede will be making her eighth consecutive appearance in the competition having won 15.5 points from the 27 matches she has played.

“I’m very proud to be taking on vice-captaincy and playing this year,” she said. “I don’t think it’s a secret how much I love the Solheim Cup and it brings out the best in me. It’s always my biggest goal every two years to make the team and try to help Europe win. There’s no feeling like stepping up on the first tee box.”

Speaking about her team captain Suzann Pettersen said: “I’m very happy with my team right now for the 2023 Solheim Cup. Congratulations to the eight players who have automatically qualified, we have so much experience in the team and it’s great to have our rookies Maja and Linn representing Europe for the first time. We have never had such a strong group of players in terms of world ranking. The European players have been playing well this year and putting in strong performances across the board.”

Pettersen will finalise her team and name her four captain’s picks this evening as Europe look to win their third Solheim Cup in a row.

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The end of the ISPS Handa World Invitational also marked the end of the qualifying period for Europe’s Solheim Cup roster. All eight players in line for automatic spots heading into the week held their places, as the Ladies European Tour announced on Sunday that Celine Boutier and Maja Stark earned their way on to the team through LET Solheim points. Charley Hull, Leona Maguire, Georgia Hall, Linn Grant, Carlota Ciganda and Anna Nordqvist claimed the remaining six qualifying spots from their placement in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings.

Six of the eight qualifiers have previous experience in the Solheim Cup, with Boutier, Hull, Maguire, Hall and Nordqvist playing for the victorious European team at Inverness Club in 2021. Stark and Grant are the two rookies to qualify, each winning their first-ever LPGA events during the qualifying period. Stark won the 2022 ISPS Handa World Invitational last season, and Grant won the Dana Open in July.

“I’m very happy with my team right now,” said European captain Suzann Pettersen via a release, the biennial competition set for Sept. 22-24 at Finca Cortesin in Andalucia, Spain with the Europeans looking to win for a third straight clash, something they haven’t done since the start of the competition in 1990. “Congratulations to the eight players who have automatically qualified, we have so much experience in the team, and it’s great to have our rookies Maja and Linn representing Europe for the first time. We have never had such a strong group of players in terms of world ranking. The European players have been playing well this year and putting in strong performances across the board.”

Congratulations to the eight players who have qualified for the ???????? ??????? ??? ???? ???

Boutier ??
Stark ??
Hull ???????
Maguire ??
Hall ???????
Grant ??
Ciganda ??
Nordqvist ??#TeamEurope | #SolheimCup

— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) August 20, 2023

Boutier led the points list with a commanding European swing, winning the Amundi Evian Championship and the Women’s Scottish Open in back-to-back weeks starting at the end of July. The 29-year-old from France will be playing in her third Solheim Cup, having impressively earned 5.5 of a possible seven points combined in 2019 and 2021.

Outside of Grant, the Rolex Rankings group has played in a combined 21 Solheim Cups, with Nordqvist (who is also serving as a vice captain) leading the way with seven consecutive cups dating back to 2009.

“I’m very proud to be taking on vice-captaincy and playing this year,” Nordqvist said. “I don’t think it’s a secret how much I love the Solheim Cup and it brings out the best in me. It’s always my biggest goal every two years to make the team and try to help Europe win.”

Pettersen will fill out the remaining spots on her 12-player roster on Tuesday when she announces her four captain’s picks. The United States end their automatic qualifying period after next week’s CPKC Canadian Open, with only four of the nine spots already locked up (Lilia Vu, Nelly Korda, Allisen Corpuz and Megan Khang). US captain Stacy Lewis then will name her three captain’s picks afterward.

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An innate confidence in her own ability is not a character trait Charley Hull has ever lacked. At the age of only 27, the Englishwoman has already achieved much in the professional game. A winner on both sides of the Atlantic, Hull has been a part of five European teams at the Solheim Cup.

Not too shabby. But now Hull has a potentially life-changing opportunity to make another step up by winning a major championship, confirming that inner belief and underlining her undoubted star quality. With 18 holes to play in the AIG Women’s Open at Walton Heath, Hull is nine-under and tied for the lead alongside American Lilia Vu, one-shot clear of a chasing pack headed by Angel Yin and Hyo Joo Kim. Halfway leader, Ally Ewing is two shots back after a stumbling 75, with Swede Linn Grant the only other player within four shots of the leaders.

"I just enjoy it. Good or bad, I just love it."

Charley Hull is taking it one step at a time, ahead of the biggest round of her life. pic.twitter.com/51X24jAqef

— AIG Women’s Open (@AIGWomensOpen) August 12, 2023

“I’m pretty proud of myself,” said Hull, who shot 68. “It was so windy today, but we dug deep. I struck the ball pretty well. I was pretty confident and felt good out there, so can’t wait to get back in the bath and just chill tonight. To win tomorrow would be unbelievable. It would be absolutely unbelievable. To do what Georgia [Hall] did in 2018 was unbelievable. To do that again would be unreal.”

All of which is not to dismiss the chances of Vu. That would be silly. Unlike Hull, the Californian already knows with absolute certainty that she has the capability to win a major title. While she may have struggled more than a little since, Vu’s win at the Chevron Championship confirmed her ability to triumph at the very highest level of the game.

“Today was really about for me just in terms of confidence,” she said after signing for a 67. “It’s been since Chevron that I actually felt pretty decent about my game and where it’s at. So, I’m just going to do the same thing I did today, focusing on tee shots and giving myself a good opportunity for birdies. That and try not to think too much about the wind. Because every time that happens, it just slips away from me.”

In a similar vein, Ewing’s first six holes set a negative tone she never quite overcame. Standing on the seventh tee at three-over for the day, she had already perpetrated a few of the mistakes that only give encouragement to a chasing pack. Multiple fairways had been missed. And greens. And putts, both long and short. Having made only three bogeys in her first 35 holes, she dropped four shots in the next seven. Suddenly, the sizeable five-shot lead with which she set off was down to a single stroke.

It was all so different from Ewing’s last four rounds of competitive golf. The former Mississippi State All-American shot 69-66 on Days 3 and 4 of last week’s Scottish Women’s Open to finish T-9, before opening 68-66 here to get her substantial advantage with which she began the third round. Given all that, it makes sense that Ewing wasn’t writing herself off. Not at all.

“The situation was tough, coming out with pretty windy conditions,” she said. “It took me a little bit longer than I would have liked to settle in. The nerves were obviously there but at the same time I was mentally in a good place to know that I was going to be presented with challenges. But I didn’t execute shots quite like I wanted to early on, but I fought really hard. I’m teeing it up tomorrow with still a great chance to win this golf tournament.”

Plenty of stars are waiting in the wings, ready to make a charge.

Can Linn, Nelly and co. challenge for the title today? ? pic.twitter.com/ccYmUcuIPo

— AIG Women’s Open (@AIGWomensOpen) August 13, 2023

On the other side of the momentum coin, Yin was making positive noises after tying Vu for the best score of the day. Little wonder. In one eight-hole stretch, the 24-year-old made six birdies.

“I stayed patient and played it safe when I had to,” she said. “The wind was a big challenge, so I was very mindful of that and didn’t force anything. Then, on the back nine I got a few birdies. I was hoping for a bogey-free round but I had one poor hole.”

Grant too was expressing something akin to satisfaction at the conclusion of her day’s efforts. The Swede’s 68 has her on six-under par and only three shots back.

“Going out this afternoon I said to my caddie, if we can get any shots under par today, that would probably give us a good chance tomorrow,” she said. “So, I’m really happy with how I played and what the score turned out to be. It was different out there today. The wind is way more than it was yesterday. As for tomorrow I’m just kind of going to go out like I did today. I have a score in mind without playing too aggressively and being too stupid.”

The post AIG Women’s Open co-leader Charley Hull doesn’t lack confidence. Now the Brit needs a major trophy to go with it appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

Charley Hull conjured up a great golfing comeback as she recovered from a ten on the front nine to go on to take a share of the individual lead – and also help lift her team to the top – after a rain-drenched round one at Centurion Club.

The English star, who finished tied second in the US Women’s Open last week, looked to have wrecked her chances of success at the Aramco Team Series presented by PIF – London when she recorded a quintuple bogey at the sixth hole.

She lost two balls on the par-5 but came back in stunning style. Hull made six birdies in her closing seven holes before signing for a five-under-par 68 that left her atop the leaderboard, alongside Nelly Korda, at the Ladies European Tour-sanctioned event.

Hull’s birdie blitz was part of a brilliant scoring spree from her quartet that comprised of Isabella Deilert, Hayley Davis and England former ace Teddy Sheringham. At the conclusion of round one they’ve opened a two-stroke lead in the team event from the quartet captained by Virginia Elena Carter after finishing on 18-under-par.

Former England star Teddy Sheringham helped Team Hull top the leaderboard in round one. Paul Severn

Hull, 27, said: “I was just out there having fun. I did play pretty well and I felt confident even after I made the 10. One bad hole, even though it’s a 10, I know it does affect a lot of people, but I managed to bounce back.”

It fell to Sheringham to give the lowdown on the fine form of Team Hull. As well as the captain’s sparkling display, Deilert made an eagle and four birdies, while Davis chipped in with four birdies and Sheringham – receiving two strokes – delivered on a couple of holes.

The former Spurs and Manchester United striker, 57, said: “It was brilliant. I really enjoyed it. The girls were fantastic. They showed me how to control a golf ball today and I was privileged to watch it. It was a joy to be out there, even in that weather.”

World number two Korda also dealt well with the heavy rain that fell for much of the day. Her only bogey came at the 12th but she responded with four birdies in the next five holes to join Hull at the top in the individuals’ competition.

World number two Nelly Korda co-leader after round one at ATS-London. Tristan Jones/LET

Korda said: “Overall I played really well. I made one boo-boo and that was for my bogey – I hit my tee shot a little right. But other than that I played pretty solid. The conditions got worse and worse as the day went on. I told my caddie not to put the umbrella away because for a bit it was going in and out, but then towards the end, the winds started to become much heavier.”

Hull and Korda hold an overnight one-shot advantage from Germany’s Leonie Harm and South Africa’s Casandra Alexander. A further shot back on three-under-par sits Anne Van Dam, Noora Komulainen, and Ana Pelaez Trevino.

The Aramco Team Series, which launched in 2021, sees teams of three professionals and one amateur competing over 36 holes – the Friday and Saturday of the tournament – with $500,000 prizemoney on offer.

Sunday’s final day of play will see only the lowest-scoring 60 players and ties from the opening two rounds return to the course to battle it out for a share of another $500,000, this time in individual earnings.

The teams get underway for round two at 6.45 am today with the leaders Hull and Korda teeing off at 12.22 pm and 12.39 pm respectively.

The post Hull and Korda flying high on day one of Aramco Team Series – London appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.

If casual golf fans didn’t know a lot about England’s Charley Hull before last week, they got a taste of her explosive game on Sunday when she charged in the US Women’s Open with a final-round 66 at Pebble Beach. She had a memorable 18th hole, lashing a fairway wood and dropping to her knees from under the pine tree in the fairway and then having a putt for birdie and a 65 that would have tied Tiger Woods and Gary Woodland for the record-low score in a US Open at Pebble.

That was all very thrilling, but what Hull suffered and then overcame with fireworks on Friday on the Ladies European Tour borders on rollercoaster golf at its finest.

In the Aramco Team Series event in London, Hull had a nightmarish sixth hole at Centurion Club, where she made a quintuple-bogey 10 on the 474-yard par 5. Unfortunately, women’s golf doesn’t have ShotLink, so we can’t see how that transpired, but we can say that No. 6 has no water on it, which makes it even more intriguing.

Hull already had made two birdies early, so she stood at three over after the 10. The two-time LPGA winner then showed some bounce-back resilience when she birdied the next hole and added another birdie at the par-5 ninth to make the turn in a respectable 38.

A 10 and 10 birdies. Fantastic #psychoscorecard here from Charley Hull. pic.twitter.com/N09z5OeK3Z

— Meg Adkins (@megadkins_TFE) July 14, 2023

It’s then what Hull did on the back nine that will long be recalled. She birdied six of her last seven holes, including four in a row from 12 through 15 to shoot 30 on the back. So, one 10 and 10 birdies led to a five-under-par 68 that had Hull tied for the lead with Nelly Korda after Round 1.

There were no quotes available from Hull, but she did say before the event that she was beginning to feel better after struggling with some mental issues off the course.

“I have been playing well all season, hitting it well and everything, but it was confidence,” Hull said. “I have been struggling mentally this year, not on the golf course but off the golf course. I had to fix my head to get better, and I feel better, and it just shows on the golf course that when you’re healthy you can play good golf.”

The post Charley Hull has an insane scorecard likely never seen: a ‘10’ and 10 birdies appeared first on Golf Digest Middle East.