Charley Hull is ranked 20th in the world of women’s golf – but the crowds following her at the Women’s Open will just just as big as world no.1 Nelly Korda.
That is because Britain’s current best golfer has become a bit of a celebrity.
Hull is a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour and her most recent victory came in 2022Credit: Getty
Known for her unique personality, Hull has become modern golf’s answer to John Daly, even sharing a screen with him during Happy Gilmore 2.
“Being on Happy Gilmore was really fun,” she told talkSPORT ahead of the Women’s Open starting on Thursday.
“I met Adam Sandler and what a legend he is. He’s just like a normal, he’s not like a movie star, he’s just like a down to earth normal person that you meet in a pub. And so he’s a pretty cool guy and I respect that.”
You could say the same thing about Hull – who is often praised for her relatability – once you put her generational talent to one side.
Much of that mainstream attention came from her habit of smoking during high-profile golf events, although that is now a thing of the past.
“It was easy [to quit],” she told talkSPORT ahead of the Women’s Open starting on Thursday.
“Literally, I haven’t smoked one cigarette from that day.”
Hull struck a £10k bet with a friend, promising to go cold turkey on tobacco, and she did not cave.
“It was two months,” she added. “It was for two months because to break a habit, it takes like 21 days.
“And if you do it for two months, you can do it for ages. But, you know, obviously you can’t promise anything for life like that.
Hull became the talk of the town as fans were gobsmacked to see her smoking during competition – even though there were no rules against itCredit: Getty
“But generally, yeah, I won’t be smoking. I’m good. I’ve got over it now.”
Hull turned to cigarettes as a coping mechanism after an ADHD diagnosis in 2023, struggling to stay focused amid long, slow, six-hour rounds on the LPGA circuit.
The 29-year-old is known for her electrifying, fast-paced approach to both golf and life, which sometimes seems at odds with the game.
“Now I’m on the nicotine patches,” she continued. “It kind of just kind of 𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s the buzz away a little bit, gives me something else to focus on. It can be slow out here sometimes.”
Golf comes easy to Hull, but the hard part is often finding a way to slow herself down.
Having been compared to Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy as a young prodigy, Hull arrives at Royal Porthcawl still searching for the first major of her career.
Hull has struggled to stay focused throughout her career due to ADHDCredit: Getty
Having been forced to withdraw from the Evian Championship with a nasty virus which saw her lose 4kg in weight, her chances look slim.
What’s worse, Hull – a self-confessed fitness freak – will not be able to run 5km before teeing off at 8:31am.
The Brit revealed her big goal for 2025 is to get a personal best under 20 minutes, despite some recent setbacks.
She said: “The last three weeks, because I’ve been ill and hurt my back, I’m just literally just gonna get up, roll out of bed, have a shower, come down, do my exercises and my physio and hit a few balls and go out and play.
“I’m on 23 minutes right now, but I haven’t measured it for a while. So hopefully I can smash it by the end of the year.
“I haven’t been to the gym much lately, but I am looking forward to testing it out when I have a bit of time off.”
Charley Hull’s Love Island plan
So, without exercise to quieten her mind, how does Hull plan to switch off this week?
Relatable as ever, she will be watching Love Island along with the masses.
Hull said: “My nephew, my 𝑏𝑎𝑏𝑦 nephews are coming this week and my sister, my family. So I’m just going to go out for a nice meal with them this evening and just chill and watch Love Island on TV.”
The Kettering girl has more than 750,000 followers on Instagram, demonstrating the interest she generates both on and off the course.
She recently went viral for outdriving two-time major winner Collin Morikawa – one of the biggest superstars in the men’s game – before shouting: ‘Hey there, little boy!’
When Hull hits the ball, it stays hit. And the fact someone so talented has not broken through on the major stage just demonstrates the standard at the elite level of the ladies’ game.
Charley Hull let Collin Morikawa hear it after out-driving him the Team @TaylorMadeGolf 2v2v2 Alt Shot match. @ForePlayPodpic.twitter.com/hMpfBcvFUw
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) July 29, 2025
Hull’s average driving distance last season was above 270 yardsCredit: Getty
In 2023, she challenged a three handicapper to a match, after this man claimed he could make every cut on the LPGA Tour and be a top 20 player.
“I find it quite funny, really. I do,” Hull told talkSPORT when reminded of that.
“At the end of the day, everyone’s got an opinion and I just thought it’d be comical to reply back to it.
“And yeah, listen, the girls, we are really good players out here. It would have been quite good to have had the match.”
Watch Hull play golf this weekend – and you too will realise – it would not have been close.