Gifted

Charley Hull discusses her passage to the professional ranks, her success at such a young age, her golfing philosophy and more

- Neil Tappin

When Charley Hull turned professional in 2013, aged just 16, she had both the golfing world at her feet and a huge weight of expectation on her shoulders.

As a teenager, Hull took the game by storm. Victories at the Welsh and English Stroke Play Championships propelled her to a high of number three on the World Amateur Golf Rankings and earned her a place at the 2012 Curtis Cup. What’s more, she was tied for third after the opening round of the 2012 Women’s British Open.

Hull turned professional at the start of 2013, finished second in her first five Ladies European Tour events and earned a place on the 2013 European Solheim Cup team. She became the youngest player ever to appear in the event.

Fast-forward to the present and Hull has gone from young prodigy to established star. With three professional wins, four Solheim Cup appearances and over $3.5m in career earnings on the LPGA Tour under her belt, there is no doubt Hull is a Major winner in waiting. That she has achieved all of this by the age of 23 is remarkable.

Golf Monthly sat down with Hull at her home club, Woburn, at the end of 2019. In this interview, she reveals how she developed her game during the early days and what she expects to achieve in the years ahead.

GM: You are renowned as one of the most natural golfers out there. Is that fair?

CH: Yeah, I’d agree I’m more of a natural player. When someone tries to change that, it gets me more robotic and it doesn’t work, so I would say that natural is better.

GM: That begs the question, how did you learn to play?