Charley Esmee Hull (born 20 March 1996) is an English professional golfer who has achieved success both on the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour, winning honours as Rookie of the Year, becoming the youngest competitor to participate in the international Solheim Cup matches and becoming a champion on the European circuit in 2014 before the age of 18. In 2016, she won the prestigious CME Group Tour Championship, the season-ending event of the LPGA Tour.

Charley Hull
Personal information
Full nameCharley Esmee Hull
Born (1996-03-20) 20 March 1996 (age 28)
Kettering, Northamptonshire, England
Height5 ft 6 in (1.68 m)
Sporting nationality England
Spouse
Ozzie Smith
(m. 2019; div. 2021)
Career
Turned professional2013
Current tour(s)Ladies European Tour
LPGA Tour
Professional wins7
Number of wins by tour
LPGA Tour2
Ladies European Tour4
Other1
Best results in LPGA major championships
Chevron ChampionshipT2: 2016
Women's PGA C'shipT6: 2018
U.S. Women's OpenT2: 2023
Women's British Open2nd: 2023
Evian ChampionshipT3: 2022
Achievements and awards
LET Rookie of the Year2013
Best International Newcomer,
SJA British Sports Awards
2013
Ladies European Tour
Order of Merit
2014
Ladies European Tour
Player of the Year
2014

Early life

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Hull was first introduced to golf when she was two years old, and she began playing with her father at Kettering Golf Club. She left school at the age of 13 to be home-schooled and started playing in amateur tournaments.[1]

Amateur career

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Hull came to public attention aged 9, when she won a significant 18-hole handicap event against adults with a score of 28 stableford points from a handicap of 26 [2] at Turnberry.[3] Aged 10 she played alongside Morgan Pressel in the British Open Pro-Am.[4] Hull then won several amateur events in the United States and Great Britain and has ranked in the top-10 of the World Amateur Golf Ranking,[5] reaching a high of number three in the world.[6]

Hull played on the Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup team in 2012. She lost her fourballs and foursomes matches on the first two days but won her singles match on the final day as the GB&I team beat the United States team 10½–9½.[7] She 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,[4] a major championship on the LPGA Tour, to which Hull had been invited.[8] The LGU re-instated Hull to the team and Hull finished tied for 38th at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.[9]

Hull also competed in the 2012 Women's British Open, where she was tied for third after the first round.[10][11]

Professional career

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2013

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Hull turned professional on 1 January 2013.[6] She made her professional debut in March 2013[12] and reeled off five consecutive second-place finishes on the Ladies European Tour: Lalla Meryem Cup, South African Women's Open, Turkish Airlines Ladies Open, Deloitte Ladies Open and a playoff loss at the UniCredit Ladies German Open.[13]

With five additional top-ten finishes on the Ladies European Tour, she finished sixth on the tour's Order of Merit with earnings of just under €135,995 in fifteen official events.[14] With her strong debut on the tour, Hull was awarded the 2013 LET Rookie of the Year award[15] and was voted the Best International Newcomer by the Sports Journalists' Association and presented with the Peter Wilson Trophy at the SJA British Sports Awards[16] Hull was also on the shortlist for the BBC's Young Sports Personality of the Year, losing to 16-year-old swimmer Josef Craig.[17]

In August 2013, Hull was selected by European Solheim Cup captain Liselotte Neumann to compete in the 2013 Solheim Cup, the youngest person ever to play in the tournament.[18] The team was the first European Solheim squad to win on U.S. soil, with a final score of 18–10. Hull contributed 2 points, including a 5 & 4 singles win over Paula Creamer. Neumann later praised Hull's performance.[19]

2014

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On 16 March 2014, four days shy of her 18th birthday, Hull won her first professional title in Morocco at the Lalla Meryem Cup. Having a five-shot deficit to the overnight leader, Gwladys Nocera, Hull scored a bogey-free round of 62 (−9) to finish level with Nocera and force a playoff. Hull birdied the first sudden-death hole to secure the victory.[20] She ended the 2014 season by becoming the youngest player to win the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit.[21]

2015

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During 2015, Hull played on both the Ladies European Tour and the LPGA Tour, where she improved her priority ranking such that she was able to play full-time on that tour.[22] Since then, she has played predominantly on the LPGA Tour.

2016

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In 2016, she had five top-ten finishes and won for the first time on the tour at the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship,[23] which lifted her to fourth place in the final Race to the CME Globe points standings.[24]

2019

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On 12 January 2019, Hull won the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open at the Saadiyat Beach Golf Club in Abu Dhabi.[25]

2020

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Hull at the 2022 Dana Open

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, and in early August, finished second in the final event to top the series standings ahead of Georgia Hall.[26] After the tours had resumed, in late August 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.[27] In October, she finished in a tie for 7th place in the Women's PGA Championship.[28]

2023

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In the first round of the Aramco Team Series in London on 14 July 2023, she carded a five-under-par 68, tying Nelly Korda, firing 10 birdies and a quintuple-bogey 10 on the par-5 sixth hole at the Centurion Club. She shot 38 on the front nine, contrasted to 30 on the back nine.[29] She finished the tournament in second place at 212 (−7), four shots behind Korda's 208 (−11).[30]

Personal life

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Hull's mother and her maternal grandparents are Polish. She has two half-sisters, one from each parent.[31][32]

Based at Woburn Golf Club, Hull spends her winters with her family based in Florida.[1]

Hull has publicly spoken out against single-sex golf clubs.[33] 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.[34]

Hull married Ozzie Smith, a mixed martial arts fighter, in her hometown on the 21 September 2019,[35] and divorced in 2021.

Amateur wins

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Professional wins (7)

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LPGA Tour wins (2)

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Legend
Major championships (0)
Other LPGA Tour (2)
No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory
Runner-up Winner's
share ($)
1 20 Nov 2016 CME Group Tour Championship 67-70-66-66=269 −19 2 strokes   Ryu So-yeon 500,000
2 2 Oct 2022 Volunteers of America Classic 67-64-71-64=266 −18 1 stroke   Lin Xiyu 255,000

LPGA Tour playoff record (0–1)

No. Year Tournament Opponent(s) Result
1 2023 Kroger Queen City Championship   Minjee Lee Lost to birdie on second extra hole

Ladies European Tour wins (4)

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No. Date Tournament Winning score To par Margin of
victory
Runner-up Winner's
share ()
1 16 Mar 2014 Lalla Meryem Cup 68-71-68-62=269 −15 Playoff   Gwladys Nocera 67,500
2 12 Jan 2019 Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open 67-72-69=208 −8 1 stroke   Marianne Skarpnord 38,115
3 16 Oct 2021 Aramco Team Series – New York 69-70-65=204 −12 1 stroke   Nelly Korda 25,864
4 2 Nov 2024 Aramco Team Series – Riyadh 65-67-66=198 −18 3 strokes   Nicole Broch Estrup 69,191

LET playoff record (1–3)

No. Year Tournament Opponent Result
1 2013 UniCredit Ladies German Open   Carlota Ciganda Lost to birdie on first extra hole
2 2014 Lalla Meryem Cup   Gwladys Nocera Won with birdie on first extra hole
3 2014 Ladies German Open   Kylie Walker Lost to par on first extra hole
4 2022 Aramco Team Series - Jeddah   Chiara Noja Lost to birdie on second extra hole

Other wins (1)

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Results in LPGA majors

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Results not in chronological order.

! Tournament 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
Chevron Championship T38 T7 T26 T2 T14 T6 T12 [a]
Women's PGA Championship T26 16 CUT T6 CUT T7
U.S. Women's Open T42 CUT T21 T10 T16 T30
The Evian Championship[b] CUT T47 T38 T52 T32 T22 T30 NT
Women's British Open CUT CUT T12 T31 T17 T16 CUT T24 CUT
! Tournament 2021 2022 2023 2024
Chevron Championship T14 T25 CUT T23
U.S. Women's Open CUT T20 T2 T19
Women's PGA Championship T21 CUT CUT T16
The Evian Championship T25 T3 CUT CUT
Women's British Open CUT T22 2 T20
  1. ^ Forced to withdraw prior to the start of the tournament after testing positive for COVID-19.
  2. ^ The Evian Championship was added as a major on the LPGA Tour in 2013.
  Top 10
  Did not play

CUT = Missed the half-way cut
NT = No tournament
T = tied

Summary

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Tournament Wins 2nd 3rd Top-5 Top-10 Top-25 Events Cuts made
Chevron Championship 0 1 0 1 3 9 11 10
U.S. Women's Open 0 1 0 1 2 6 10 8
Women's PGA Championship 0 0 0 0 2 5 10 6
The Evian Championship 0 0 1 1 1 3 11 8
Women's British Open 0 1 0 1 1 7 13 8
Totals 0 3 1 4 9 30 55 40
  • Most consecutive cuts made – 10 (2014 ANA – 2016 Women's PGA)
  • Longest streak of top-10s – 3 (2018 ANA – 2018 Women's PGA)

LPGA Tour career summary

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Year Tournaments
played
Cuts
made*
Wins 2nds 3rds Top
10s
Best
finish
Earnings
($)
Money
list rank
Scoring
average
Scoring
rank
2012 2 1 0 0 0 0 T38 n/a n/a 73.33 n/a
2013 4 2 0 0 0 0 T17 n/a n/a 71.83 n/a
2014 10 7 0 0 1 2 T3 n/a n/a 71.68 n/a
2015 14 13 0 0 0 3 4 359,929 48 71.43 32
2016 22 19 1 1 0 5 1 1,114,360 15 70.60 18
2017 22 18 0 0 0 3 T6 442,942 46 71.10 43
2018 24 22 0 1 1 6 2 869,012 19 70.28 16
2019 22 17 0 1 0 2 2 885,961 19 71.39 58
2020 8 6 0 0 0 2 T6 281,594 40 71.36 31
2021 19 17 0 0 0 2 5 392,308 55 70.73 35
2022 18 13 1 0 1 5 1 1,084,968 21 70.15 16
2023 18 14 0 4 0 5 2 2,395,650 6 70.30 15
2024 17 15 0 1 0 5 T2 1,104,000 28 70.53 14
Totals^ 184 (2015) 154 (2015) 2 8 3 38 1 8,930,724 35

^ official as of 2024 season[41][42][43]
* Includes matchplay and other tournaments without a cut.

World ranking

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Position in Women's World Golf Rankings at the end of each calendar year.

Year Ranking Source
2012 352 [44]
2013 99 [45]
2014 38 [46]
2015 41 [47]
2016 16 [48]
2017 28 [49]
2018 24 [50]
2019 26 [51]
2020 34 [52]
2021 33 [53]
2022 17 [54]
2023 8 [55]

Team appearances

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Amateur

Professional

Solheim Cup record

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Year Total
matches
Total
W–L–H
Singles
W–L–H
Foursomes
W–L–H
Fourballs
W–L–H
Points
won
Points
%
Career 27 15–9–3 3–3–1 6–3–1 6–3–1 16.5 61.1
2013 3 2–1–0 1–0–0 def. P. Creamer 5&4 0–0–0 1–1–0 lost w/ C. Matthew 2&1
won w/ J. Ewart Shadoff 2 up
2 66.7
2015 5 4–1–0 0–1–0 lost to C. Kerr 3&2 2–0–0 won w/ M. Reid 2&1
won w/ S. Pettersen 1 up
2–0–0 won w/ G. Nocera 3&2
won w/ S. Pettersen 2 up
4 80.0
2017 3 1–1–1 1–0–0 def. B.Lang 1 up 0–0–1 halved w/ M. Reid 0–1–0 lost w/ G.Hall 2&1 1.5 50.0
2019 4 2–0–2 0–0–1 halved w/ M. Khang 2–0–0 won w/ A. Muñoz 2&1
won w/ A. Muñoz 4&3
0–0–1 halved w/ A. Muñoz 3 75.0
2021 4 2–2–0 0–1–0 lost to J. Korda 3&1 1–1–0 won w/ E. Pedersen 1 up
lost w/ E. Pedersen 2&1
1–0–0 won w/ E. Pedersen 3&2 2 50.0
2023 3 1–2–0 0–1–0 lost to D. Kang 4&2 0–1–0 lost w/ E. Pedersen 5&4 1–0–0 won w/ L. Maguire 4&3 1 33.3
2024 5 3–2–0 1–0-0 def. N. Korda 6&4 1–1–0 lost w/ E. Henseleit 3&2
won w/ E. Henseleit 1 up
1–1–0 lost w/ L. Grant 5&4
won w/ G. Hall 2 up
3 60.0

References

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  1. ^ a b Murray, Ewan (23 July 2013). "Teenager Charley Hull blazing a trail to the top of the women's game". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  2. ^ "Turnberry hurricane rocks Ladies golfing world" (PDF).
  3. ^ "Charley Hull: 'Golf is my job – I'm pretty good at it'". BBC Sport. 24 July 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  4. ^ a b "Exclusive: Charley Hull Interview". Northamptonshire Golf Magazine. Archived from the original on 11 August 2013. Retrieved 29 July 2013.
  5. ^ "Charley Hull biography". World Amateur Golf Ranking. Archived from the original on 30 September 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  6. ^ a b "Hull, Charley: Ladies European Tour Player Profile". Ladies European Tour. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  7. ^ "The 37th Curtis Cup Matches". Ladies Golf Union. Archived from the original on 4 November 2014. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  8. ^ "Charley Hull not fazed by Curtis Cup test". BBC Sport. 25 May 2012. Archived from the original on 19 April 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
  9. ^ Squires, Neil (5 June 2012). "Charley Hull Wins Cup Reprieve". Daily Express. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
  10. ^ "Women's British Open: Charley Hull cards first-round 71 on debut". BBC Sport. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
  11. ^ "Women's British Open: English amateur Charley Hull makes early move". The Guardian. 13 September 2012. Retrieved 13 September 2012.
  12. ^ "Charley Hull says she 'belongs' in professional golf". BBC Sport. 6 June 2013. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  13. ^ "Hull, Charley: Ladies European Tour Player Performance". Ladies European Tour. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  14. ^ "2013 Ladies European Tour Order of Merit Final Standings". Ladies European Tour. 9 December 2013. Archived from the original on 8 February 2014. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  15. ^ "Hull Earns Rookie of the Year Award". Ladies European Tour. 7 December 2013. Archived from the original on 31 December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  16. ^ "Charley Hull Receives Sports Journalists' Association Best International Newcomer Award". Ladies European Tour. 12 December 2013. Archived from the original on 30 December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  17. ^ "Young Sports Personality: Trio on 2013 BBC award shortlist revealed". BBC Sport. 12 December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  18. ^ Isaacson, Melissa (10 August 2013). "Lexi Thompson youngest ever for U.S." ESPN.
  19. ^ "Solheim Cup: Charley Hull is a 'special girl' - Liselotte Neumann". BBC Sport. 19 August 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  20. ^ "2014 Lalla Meryem Cup leaderboard". Ladies European Tour. 16 March 2014. Retrieved 16 March 2014.
  21. ^ Bonfield, Nick (15 December 2014). "Charley Hull wins LET Order of Merit". Golf Monthly. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  22. ^ "Charley Hull takes on LPGA with veteran's game but teen's spirit". Golfweek. USA Today. 8 July 2015. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  23. ^ "Charley Hull wins the CME Group Tour Championship for first LPGA title". BBC Sport. 20 November 2016. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  24. ^ "Bio – Charley Hull". LPGA Tour. Retrieved 13 October 2020.
  25. ^ "Charley Hull conquers the Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open". Worldwide Golf. 12 January 2019. Retrieved 13 January 2019.
  26. ^ Perry, Alex (8 August 2020). "Hull wins Rose Ladies Series after Grand Final cancelled due to wildfire". National Club Golfer.
  27. ^ Lavner, Ryan (8 September 2020). "Charley Hull out of ANA Inspiration after testing positive for COVID-19". Golf Channel. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  28. ^ "Kim Sei-young claims first major at Women's PGA Championship". BBC Sport. 11 October 2020. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
  29. ^ Herzig, Gabrielle (14 July 2023). "LPGA's Charley Hull Went Ridiculously Low After Carding a 10 on a Hole". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved 17 July 2023.
  30. ^ Yadav, Ankita (17 July 2023). "Nelly Korda wins her third LET title in the Aramco Team Series in London; Final leaderboard and prize money explored". sportskeeda.
  31. ^ "2012 Kraft Nabisco Championship, First round notes and interviews". LPGA. 29 March 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  32. ^ "A Quick 18 with Charley Hull". LET Access Series. 14 December 2012. Retrieved 8 August 2013.
  33. ^ Johnston, Neil (23 July 2013). "Charley Hull says single-sex golf clubs are 'stupid'". BBC Sport. Retrieved 25 July 2013.
  34. ^ "YSPOTY 2013 nominees: Charley Hull Q&A". BBC Sport. 4 December 2013. Retrieved 28 December 2013.
  35. ^ "Wedding Bells for Charley". Northants Telegraph. 21 September 2019. Retrieved 21 September 2019.
  36. ^ "2011 Ione D Jones/Doherty Championship". World Amateur Golf Ranking. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  37. ^ "2011 Welsh Open Stroke Play". World Amateur Golf Ranking. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  38. ^ "2011 English Open Stroke Play". World Amateur Golf Ranking. Archived from the original on 16 April 2013. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  39. ^ "2012 Harder Hall Invitational". World Amateur Golf Ranking. Archived from the original on 23 April 2012. Retrieved 14 September 2012.
  40. ^ Scrivener, Peter (18 June 2020). "Charley Hull wins first Rose Ladies Series event at Brockenhurst Manor Golf Club". BBC Sport.
  41. ^ "Charley Hull stats". LPGA. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  42. ^ "Charley Hull results". LPGA. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  43. ^ "Career Money". LPGA. Retrieved 27 November 2024.
  44. ^ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 31 December 2012.
  45. ^ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 30 December 2013.
  46. ^ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 29 December 2014.
  47. ^ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 28 December 2015.
  48. ^ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 26 December 2016.
  49. ^ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 25 December 2017.
  50. ^ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 31 December 2018.
  51. ^ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 30 December 2019.
  52. ^ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 28 December 2020.
  53. ^ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 27 December 2021.
  54. ^ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 26 December 2022.
  55. ^ "Women's World Golf Rankings". 25 December 2023.
  56. ^ "European Girls' Team Championship – European Golf Association". 19 October 2015. Retrieved 8 February 2023.
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