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Charley Hull
English professional golfer (born 1996) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Charley Esmee Hull (born 20 March 1996) is an English professional golfer who has won tournaments on both the Ladies European Tour (LET) and the LPGA Tour.
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Aged 9, Hull won the Ladies Golf Union Championship, playing against adults. She went on to have a successful amateur career, winning several national titles, and she was selected by Europe for the Junior Solheim Cup team in 2011, and by Great Britain and Ireland for the Curtis Cup in 2012. Hull turned professional in 2013, and after ten top-10 finishes and a debut appearance at the 2013 Solheim Cup (the then youngest ever competitor at the tournament), she was named LET Rookie of the Year. Her first Ladies European Tour title was achieved at the 2014 Lalla Meryem Cup, and she won the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit at the end of the same year. Hull won her first LPGA title in 2016 at the Tour Championship. She won further Ladies European Tour titles in 2019, 2021 and 2024, and she won her second LPGA title at the Volunteers of America Classic in 2022.
Hull has won seven professional titles during her career, including two on the LPGA Tour, and four on the Ladies European Tour. She has ten top-10 finishes in majors, and has finished runner-up on four occasions; at the 2016 ANA Inspiration, the 2023 U.S. Women's Open, the 2023 Women's British Open, and the 2025 Women's British Open. Hull has competed in seven Solheim Cups, winning three, and has a career high year-end world ranking of eighth.
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Early life and career influences
Hull was first introduced to golf when she was two years old, and she began playing with her father at Kettering Golf Club. She joined Woburn Golf Club aged 9/10[2] and later left school at the age of 13 to be home-schooled.[3] Hull has stated that once she started home-schooling, she focused on golf ahead of her studies, saying "I was playing golf from 9am to 3pm every day."[4] While discussing her role models, Hull has said that when she was young she looked up to Laura Davies,[5] with Davies herself acknowledging similarities in their style of play. Speaking about Hull, Davies has observed "She plays golf the way I played golf...She gets her driver out on pretty much every hole, goes for pins and isn't scared of messing things up".[6][7] Hull has also cited Seve Ballesteros as a role model.[8]
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Amateur career
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Hull came to public attention aged 9, when she won the Ladies Golf Union Championship at Turnberry, competing against adults. During the event, she scored 28 stableford points from a handicap of 26.[9] Aged 10, she played alongside Morgan Pressel in the British Open Pro-Am.[10] Hull then won several amateur events in Great Britain and the United States and became ranked in the top-10 of the World Amateur Golf Rankings.[11] She won the English Girls under-13 title in July 2008,[12] and in March 2010 she won the Leveret at Formby Ladies.[13] In January 2011, she travelled to Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where she was victorious in the Jones-Doherty match-play Championship,[14] and in May 2011, she won the Welsh Women's Open Stroke Play Championship.[15] She followed this up by triumphing in the English Women's Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship in August,[16] and was then selected to represent Europe in the 2011 Junior Solheim Cup. Hull lost all three of her matches in the tournament, including a 2 and 1 loss to Lindsey Weaver in the singles. The event concluded with USA retaining the trophy after a 12–12 tie.[17] At the end of 2011, Hull was crowned the winner of both the English Girls, and Ladies Order of Merit, the first player to win both in the same year.[18]
In January 2012, Hull returned to Florida where she secured victory at the Harder Hall Invitational, winning with a two-stroke margin over Ariya Jutanugarn.[19] Hull was selected by Great Britain and Ireland for the 2012 Curtis Cup at Nairn Golf Club in Scotland. Speaking about her approach to the sport before the competition, Hull said "I don't set myself goals really. I just go out and play. Just have fun, that's what I say."[20] She lost her fourballs and foursomes matches on the first two days but won her singles match five and three against Lindy Duncan on the final day, with Great Britain & Ireland defeating the United States 10.5–9.5.[21] Hull had initially been removed from the team in a dispute with the Ladies Golf Union over a mandatory training session that conflicted with the Kraft Nabisco Championship, a major championship on the LPGA Tour, to which she had been invited. The LGU re-instated Hull to the team and she finished T38th at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.[22][20] She also competed in the 2012 Women's British Open at Hoylake, where she was tied for third after the first round.[23][24]
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Professional career
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2013
Hull turned professional on 1 January 2013.[25] She made her professional debut in March 2013 at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Agadir, Morocco, where she finished T2nd, three-strokes behind Ariya Jutanugarn.[26][27] She then achieved four further consecutive second-place finishes, culminating at the UniCredit Ladies German Open, where she lost in a playoff to Carlota Ciganda. The tournament had been curtailed to two-rounds due to heavy rain.[28][29] In August 2013, Hull was selected by European Solheim Cup captain Liselotte Neumann to compete in the 2013 Solheim Cup against the United States, with Hull becoming the youngest person ever to play in the tournament.[30] Europe then won in the United States for the first time ever, triumphing 18–10. Hull contributed 2 points, including a 5 and 4 singles win over Paula Creamer, and finished the event with a 2–1–0 record (win–loss–tie). Neumann later praised Hull's performance, calling her "special" and saying "She plays in a fearless way".[31][32]
With five additional top-ten finishes on the Ladies European Tour (LET), including T8th in the season-closing Dubai Ladies Masters, Hull finished sixth on the tour's Order of Merit with earnings of just under €135,995 in fifteen official events.[33][34] She was awarded the 2013 LET Rookie of the Year award,[35] and was also voted the Best International Newcomer by the Sports Journalists' Association.[36] Hull was also on the shortlist for the BBC's Young Sports Personality of the Year,[37] and Tony Jacklin described her as a "precocious talent".[38] At the end of 2013, Hull said that she would divide her 2014 schedule between the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour in the United States.[39]
2014
On 16 March 2014, four days before her 18th birthday, Hull won her first professional title in Morocco at the Lalla Meryem Cup. She trailed Gwladys Nocera by five-strokes with one-round remaining, but Hull scored a bogey-free round of nine-under-par to finish level with Nocera and force a playoff. Hull then birdied the first sudden-death hole to secure the victory.[40] At the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship, Hull finished T7th after shooting a four-over-par closing round.[41] She was beaten in a playoff by Kylie Walker at the German Open in July, after both players finished twenty five-under-par after four-rounds.[42] Hull finished second to Xi Yu Lin at the Sanya Ladies Open in November.[43] and then finished T5th in her final Ladies European Tour tournament of the year at the Dubai Ladies Masters, her ninth top-10 finish of the year.[44] She ended the 2014 season by becoming the youngest player to win the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit.[45]
2015
During 2015, Hull played on both the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour, where she improved her ranking, which allowed her to play full-time on the LPGA Tour.[46] Hull played in the 2015 Solheim Cup at Golf Club St. Leon-Rot where Europe let slip a 10–6 lead to lose 13.5–14.5. She won all four of her pairs matches during the event, but was caught up in controversy in her day two fourballs match partnering Suzann Pettersen. Their match with Alison Lee and Brittany Lincicome was tied going into the 17th hole. Lee missed a putt to win the hole and Hull walked away. Lee picked up her ball, believing the putt had been conceded, but Pettersen said she had not conceded the putt and USA forfeited the hole. Europe sealed the match at the 18th hole to win 2 up. Hull was emotional afterwards, but Laura Davies, on Sky, felt that she carried no blame for the incident. Hull lost her singles match to Cristie Kerr three and two on the final day and finished with a 4–1–0 record.[47][48][49][50] Hull's best finish of the year on the LPGA Tour came at the Taiwan Championship in October, where she finished fourth. In total, Hull made the cut at thirteen tournaments out of fourteen on the LPGA Tour in 2015.[51][52] At the end of the year, Hull's world ranking was 41.[53]
2016
At the 2016 ANA Inspiration, Hull finished runner-up, her best ever major result, one-stroke behind Lydia Ko.[54] She competed for England at the International Crown in July, where she helped them finish T3rd.[55] She then competed for Great Britain at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where she finished in seventh place, two-strokes off the bronze medal position.[56] In 2016, she had five top-ten finishes on the LPGA Tour and won for the first time on the tour at the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida. Hull finished the event with a tournament record nineteen-under-par to win by two-strokes. She won $500,000 for her win and said it had been a "long time coming" and added "This is a big win to end the year with, it's nice to have that under my belt".[57][58][52] Hull's best Ladies European Tour finish of the year was a second place at the Dubai Ladies Masters in December, Hull finished two-strokes behind Shanshan Feng.[59][60] Hull concluded her year at 16 in the world rankings.[61]
2017
Hull suffered a recurrence of a wrist injury in March and she was unable to record a top-10 finish in a major during 2017. She finished T14th at the ANA Inspiration, missed the cut at the Women's PGA Championship, T21st at the U.S. Women's Open, T16th at the Women's British Open, and finished T32nd at the Evian Championship.[62] In the 2017 Solheim Cup, Europe were defeated 11.5–16.5 by USA at the Des Moines Golf and Country Club, Iowa. Hull finished the event with a 1–1–1 record, with her win coming against Brittany Lang (1 up) in the singles on the final day.[63] Hull achieved her best finish of the year on the LPGA Tour at the KEB Hana Bank Championship in October, when she finished T6th.[64] At the Dubai Ladies Classic in December, she recorded her best Ladies European Tour finish of the year with a fifth place, three-strokes behind Angel Yin.[60][65] Hull ended her year at 28 in the world rankings.[66]
2018
At the 2018 ANA Inspiration, Hull finished T6th at thirteen-under-par, two-shots behind winner Pernilla Lindberg.[67] She finished T10th in the U.S. Women's Open at Shoal Creek,[68] and then secured her third top-10 major finish of 2018 at the Women's PGA Championship, where she finished T6th, four-strokes behind Park Sung-hyun at Kemper Lakes.[69] At the International Crown, Hull helped England finish T2nd behind South Korea.[70] Her best placed finish of 2018 in a LPGA Tour event came at the KEB Hana Bank Championship in October, where she finished runner-up, three-strokes behind Chun In-gee.[71] During the year, Hull made the cut at 22 of the 24 LPGA events that she played,[52] and she ended the year at 24 in the world rankings.[72]
2019
On 12 January 2019, Hull won the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open at the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club in Abu Dhabi. She finished one-stroke ahead of second-placed Marianne Skarpnord.[73] In the 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles Hotel, Scotland. Hull finished unbeaten in all four of her matches to help Europe to a 14.5–13.5 win over USA. Hull won two matches in the foursomes partnering Azahara Muñoz, and tied her singles match on the final day with Megan Khang, to finish with a 2–0–2 record.[74][75] On the LPGA Tour, Hull finished a season-best 2nd at the CME Group Tour Championship in November, behind winner Sei Young Kim.[76][52] Hull finished 2019 at 26 in the world rankings.[77]
2020
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In June 2020, during a suspension of all the major golf tours due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hull won the opening event of the Rose Ladies Series in the United Kingdom,[78] and in early August, finished second in the final event to top the series standings ahead of Georgia Hall.[79] After the tours had resumed, she missed the halfway cut at the AIG Women's Open, the first major of the year. In September, she tested positive for COVID-19 during pre-tournament testing for the ANA Inspiration and was forced to withdraw from the year's second major.[80] In October, she finished in a tie for seventh place in the Women's PGA Championship.[81] Hull finished T6th at the Saudi Ladies International in November.[82] Her best finish on the LPGA Tour in 2020 came at the Volunteers of America Classic in December, where she finished T6th, four-strokes behind Angela Stanford.[83] She finished the year at 34 in the world rankings.[84]
2021
Hull chose not to take part in the Tokyo Summer Olympics, citing scheduling concerns.[85] She finished T5th in the Women's Scottish Open at Dumbarnie Links in August,[86] and she was later part of the European team that triumphed 15–13 over USA in the 2021 Solheim Cup at the Inverness Club, Toledo, Ohio. Hull finished 2–2–0 from her four matches. She won both of her points for Europe alongside Emily Kristine Pedersen. In the day one foursomes, they beat Lexi Thompson and Brittany Altomare (1 up), and in the day two fourballs, they were victorious over Danielle Kang and Austin Ernst (4 and 2).[87] Hull then secured her third title on the Ladies European Tour at the Aramco team Series-New York event in October. She clinched a one-stroke victory, with Nelly Korda her closest challenger.[88] Hull finished the year with a T15th finish at the Tour Championship and ended at 33 in the world rankings.[89][90]
2022
Hull finished T3rd at the 2022 Evian Championship, two shots behind champion Brooke Henderson.[91] In October, Hull was victorious at the Volunteers of America Classic, held at the Old American Golf Club in Texas. It was Hull's first victory on the LPGA Tour for six years and she shot a seven-under-par round on the final day to seal the trophy. She finished eighteen-under-par overall, which was a joint-record for the event. She believed that an improvement in her confidence had led to her victory.[92][93] In November, Hull was defeated in a playoff by Chiara Noja at the Aramco Team Series-Jeddah, after both players finished the tournament at thirteen-under-par. Afterwards, it was revealed in the media that Hull had been Noja's idol growing up.[94][95] During 2022, Hull recorded five top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour and won over $1m in prize money.[52] At the end of the year, she was at number 17 in the world rankings.[96]
2023
Hull began her year with a T2nd finish at the Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Florida. She finished four-strokes behind winner Brooke Henderson.[97] She also finished in a tie for second place at the 2023 U.S. Women's Open at Pebble Beach, three-shots behind Allisen Corpuz.[98] In the first-round of the Aramco Team Series-London in July, she carded a five-under-par 68, firing ten birdies and a quintuple-bogey 10 on the par-5 sixth hole at the Centurion Club.[99] She finished the tournament in second place at seven-under-par, three-shots behind Nelly Korda.[100] In the 2023 Women's British Open at Walton Heath, Hull finished in second place, six-shots adrift of winner Lilia Vu, Hull said she felt "deflated" not to win.[101] Hull finished second for the fifth time in 2023 at the Kroger Queen City Championship. She lost a playoff to Minjee Lee in Cincinnati, Ohio.[102] At the 2023 Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin in Casares, Andalusia, Hull finished with a 1–2–0 record as Europe and USA finished tied 14–14, meaning that Europe retained the trophy. Hull was defeated, 4 and 2, by Danielle Kang in singles.[103][104] She finished the year at 8 in the world rankings.[105]
2024
Hull finished T2nd, three-strokes behind Alexandra Försterling at the Aramco Team Series-Tampa in March.[106] After Hull then finished tenth at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship, former Solheim Cup player Trish Johnson questioned Hull's aggressive approach to the game and said "She doesn't win anywhere near enough for her talent...The thing with Charley is you're never going to change her...She's just going to go for every pin."[107] Hull was later selected by Great Britain for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris. She endured a 'difficult' first-round where she shot a nine-over-par 81, to fall sixteen-shots off the gold medal position.[108][109] Hull fought back and eventually finished T27th on one-over-par, eleven-strokes behind gold medal winner Lydia Ko.[110] Hull competed for Europe in the 2024 Solheim Cup, which was staged at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia. She won three of her five matches, including a 6 and 4 victory against Nelly Korda in the final day singles, but could not prevent USA securing the overall victory. Hull finished the event with a 3–2–0 record.[111]
In November, Hull clinched her first victory since 2022 when she triumphed in the Aramco Team Series event in Riyadh. She won the tournament by three-strokes and ended a sequence of finishing runner-up six times without victory.[112] She then finished T2nd at The ANNIKA, three-strokes behind Nelly Korda. Hull had taken a one-stroke lead into the final-round but shot a one-over-par 71 to slip back.[113] After the tournament, in which Hull finished her round in increasing darkness, Hull was critical of slow play by several of her fellow professionals, and called for punishments, starting at two-shot penalties, up to the loss of Tour Cards for repeat offenders.[114]
2025
In March, at the Women's World Golf Championship in Singapore, Hull held a one-shot lead at the end of the third-round. However, a final-round 74 saw her miss out on the title to Lydia Ko, and Hull finished T4th, six shots behind Ko.[115] She finished fourth at the Women's Irish Open in early July,[116] but the following week she was forced to withdraw from the Evian Championship after collapsing during her opening round.[117] At the 2025 Women's British Open, Hull finished T2nd at Royal Porthcawl, two-strokes behind Miyu Yamashita.[118]
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Personal life
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Hull was born to Dave, a former plasterer, and Basienka, who is of Polish descent.[119][120] She has two half-sisters, one from each parent.[121] Hull married Ozzie Smith, a mixed martial arts fighter, in Burton Latimer on the 21 September 2019,[122] and divorced in 2021.[123] Hull is best friends with fellow golf professional Georgia Hall, whom she met when they were around 11 years of age.[124]
Hull has a keen interest in fashion, which she displays both on and off the golf course and she has held associations with clothing sponsors such as Anew, and Malbon Golf.[125] She is also a keen gym goer, has called golf related exercises "boring" and prefers running and weights based exercise.[126]
In July 2023, Hull revealed that she had been diagnosed with Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), saying "I find it hard to concentrate but I've found my triggers now" and explained the importance of keeping her mind busy.[127] Hull said in 2024 that she had been diagnosed with degenerative arthritis in her shoulder. She explained that the conditioned worsened in cold weather.[128]
In June 2024, a video of Hull smoking at the U.S. Women's Open went viral online.[129] Speaking about her lifestyle in September 2024 Hull explained "I live my life the way I want to live it, not how anyone else wants me to live it."[130] She has also said "It’s the only bad thing I do!" and has explained that she rarely drinks alcohol and eats healthily.[126] Hull released a video on Instagram in March 2025 telling fellow golfer Ryan Evans that she would give him $10,000 if she could not quit smoking for two months.[131]
Hull made a cameo in the 2025 film Happy Gilmore 2.[132]
Hull has publicly spoken out against single-sex golf clubs.[133] When asked by the BBC if she had experienced discrimination on the course, she recounted that when she was seven years old she defeated a 17-year-old boy and he swore at her after the match.[134]
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Amateur wins
- 2008 English Girls under-13 Championship[12]
- 2010 The Leveret[13]
- 2010 Hampshire Rose[135]
- 2011 Ione D Jones/Doherty Championship,[136]
- 2011 Welsh Women's Open Stroke Play Championship,[137]
- 2011 English Women's Open Amateur Stroke Play Championship[138]
- 2012 Harder Hall Invitational[139]
Professional wins (7)
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LPGA Tour wins (2)
LPGA Tour playoff record (0–1)
Ladies European Tour wins (4)
LET playoff record (1–3)
Other wins (1)
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Results in LPGA majors
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Results not in chronological order.
Top 10
Did not play
CUT = Missed the half-way cut
WD = withdrew
T = tied
NT = no tournament
Summary
- Most consecutive cuts made – 10 (2014 ANA – 2016 Women's PGA)
- Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (2018 ANA – 2018 Women's PGA)
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LPGA Tour career summary
^ official as of 2024 season[141][142][143]
* Includes matchplay and other tournaments without a cut.
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World ranking
Position in Women's World Golf Rankings at the end of each calendar year.
Team appearances
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Amateur[148]
- European Ladies' Team Championship (representing England): 2011
- Junior Vagliano Trophy: (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 2011
- Junior Solheim Cup (representing Europe): 2011
- European Girls' Team Championship (representing the England): 2012
- Curtis Cup (representing Great Britain & Ireland): 2012 (winners)
- Espirito Santo Trophy (representing England): 2012
Professional
- Solheim Cup (representing Europe): 2013 (winners), 2015, 2017, 2019 (winners), 2021 (winners), 2023 (tie, trophy retained), 2024
- International Crown (representing England): 2016, 2018
Solheim Cup record
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References
External links
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