20 Things You Didn't Know About Charley Hull

Charley Hull's is one of the best English players on the LPGA Tour, and in 2023 she came agonisingly close to Major glory not once, but twice, with runner-up finishes at the US Women's Open and AIG Women's Open. 

Despite narrowly missing out on those titles, though, her profile has never been higher. Here are some things you're might not be aware of about the 27-year-old. 

1. Hull was born on the 24 March 1996 in the Northamptonshire town of Kettering in England.

2. Charley's introduction to the game came early, when she was just two-years-old, and she began playing with her dad, Dave, at Kettering Golf Club at the age of five. 

3. Hull's mother has also has a big influence on her life. Basienka Hull is Polish and was a county level tennis player.

4. Hull became a scratch golfer aged around 11.

5. She left school aged 13 to be homeschooled. By that point, she was spending much of her time playing golf.

6. Hull had a hugely successful time in the amateur game and reached a career high of third on the World Amateur Golf Ranking helped by some big wins, including the  English Amateur, Welsh Amateur and US event the Harder Hall.

7. She turned professional in 2013 aged just 16 and reeled off five consecutive second-place finishes on the Ladies European Tour - the Lalla Meryem Cup, South African Women's Open, Turkish Airlines Ladies Open, Deloitte Ladies Open and the UniCredit Ladies German Open.

8. Those performances helped her claim the LET Rookie of the Year award the same year, while 2013 also saw her named Best International Newcomer at the SJA British Sports Awards. 

9. Hull didn't have long to wait to claim her maiden professional win. It came in March 2014 at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco. Heading into 2024, she had six titles under her belt, including two on the LPGA Tour.  

10. At the age of 17 Hull was selected for the 2013 Solheim Cup. At the time, that made her the youngest player to participate at the match. 

11. Despite that considerable achievement, though, Hull had mixed feelings about her selection: "I was actually disappointed about that because I had a birthday party I was meant to be going to that weekend.

"It’s not like I was ecstatic to be in the Solheim Cup team – I just remember thinking, ‘Oh, I am going to miss my friend’s birthday party’ so I was kind of gutted in a way. But then I went out there and played pretty well. That’s a 17-year-old mind for you!"

12. During that match, she emphatically beat Paula Creamer 5&4. Afterwards, Hull asked her for her autograph on behalf of a friend!

13. Hull has gone on to achieve an excellent Solheim Cup record. She has played in 22 matches across four contests, with a 12-7-3 record. Her most recent appearance came in the 2023 match at Finca Cortesin, where she helped Team Europe retain the trophy.

14. She is based at Woburn Golf Club.

15. Hull has three runner-up finishes in Majors - the 2016 ANA Inspiration, and US Women's Open and AIG Women's Open in 2023.

16. After a 112-year absence, golf returned to the summer Olympics at Rio in 2016, and Hull represented Team GB. She missed out on a bronze medal by two shots, finishing seventh.

17. Hull uses a full bag of TaylorMade equipment.

18. She married Ozzie Smith, an English MMA fighter in 2019, but the pair divorced a few years later.

19. She's an avid fan of Premier League soccer club Liverpool FC.

20. Hull is coached by Matt Belsham who has also worked with players including Alex Noren and Matt Wallace.