In Hospital One Week And Scoring A Top-10 The Next - Charley Hull Opens Up On 'Crazy' Off-Season
The World No.8 finished T7 at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions just weeks after suffering from Covid-19 and salmonella food-poisoning
Charley Hull has admitted her off-season was far less enjoyable than she would have liked after suffering with multiple illnesses and even spending some time in hospital recently.
After recording a T9 finish with Justin Rose at the inaugural Grant Thornton Invitational, the Englishwoman spent much of the past five weeks battling sickness - including a bout of Covid-19 and salmonella-induced food poisoning - before returning to competition at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions on the PGA Tour last week with an excellent top-10 result.
Although Hull was unable to catch eventual champion Lydia Ko, she positively skipped to seven-under for the tournament to finish alongside Solheim Cup teammate Gemma Dryburgh and Team USA's Rose Zhang.
Her high-quality performance was perhaps something of a surprise, though, given the ordeal she had endured in the weeks prior. Speaking to the LPGA Tour's Hope Barnett, Hull explained: "I have had a crazy off-season. I came back from Grant Thornton [Invitational] and had Covid for 10 days.
"Then I was poorly over Christmas and on antibiotics. I then got better and went out for food on New Year's Day, and I was then sick for that whole week. I went to Dubai last week to practice, still being sick, and then I was in hospital from Sunday to basically the Tuesday. I found out I had salmonella food poisoning.
"I then got on the plane and landed [Wednesday], so it was pretty late to an event. I don't normally turn up this late to an event. But at least I'm here and at least I'm living - but yeah, it's been a bit of a rollercoaster off-season."
Hull - who recently signed a clothing deal with Malbon - admitted her late arrival at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club meant she was unable to prepare how she would like, and it did appear to affect her over the course of round one.
Get the Golf Monthly Newsletter
Subscribe to the Golf Monthly newsletter to stay up to date with all the latest tour news, equipment news, reviews, head-to-heads and buyer’s guides from our team of experienced experts.
The 27-year-old carded a two-over 74 on Thursday before a brilliant fightback on Friday saw Hull shoot a six-under 66 to haul herself back into possible contention. While a win did not materialise, Hull managed to grind out a three-under total at the weekend to nudge herself up into the top-10.
Speaking immediately after the tournament, Hull said: "Yeah, I feel pretty happy, especially with arriving so late. I wasn't prepared. Came in and played the Pro-Am, and that was it really. Yeah, no, I'm actually happy with that start to the season."
A post shared by LPGA Tour (@lpga_tour)
A photo posted by on
Hull will be hoping to go one better than she managed in 2023 after finishing as runner up in two of the five women's Majors as well as two other LPGA Tour events. And after working hard in between her sickness over the winter, the two-time LPGA Tour winner says she is optimistic it will lead to benefits in her game this season.
She said: "[I'm excited to work on] pretty much everything. Just started to get back into the feel. I was grinding hard, but then I've been so poorly for five weeks, so I just felt like I wasn't quite settled the first day.
"Apart from that, I played some solid golf. Today was so tricky out there and I hit some great shots coming in. Missed a few putts, but it wasn't really my strike, it was the greens got so fast. Used to putting on a six stimp in the UK and now it feels like a bloody 14!"
Jonny Leighfield is our Staff News Writer who joined Golf Monthly just in time for the 2023 Solheim Cup and Ryder Cup. He graduated from the University of Brighton with a degree in Sport Journalism in 2017 and spent almost five years as the sole sports reporter at his local newspaper. An improving golfer who still classes himself as ‘one of the worst players on the Golf Monthly team’, Jonny enjoys playing as much as he can and is hoping to reach his Handicap goal of 18 at some stage. He attended both the 150th and 151st Opens and is keen to make it an annual pilgrimage.
-
Sunday Golf Big Rig Bag Review
Mike Bailey puts the latest from Sunday Golf into play - the company’s first bag designed for use with a cart
By Mike Bailey Published
-
Two Thirds Of The Entire LIV Field Hoping To Join Tiger Woods At US Open By Entering Final Qualifying
There are 35 LIV Golf League players who have entered Final Qualifying for the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst
By Paul Higham Published
-
Making The Cut's Not Enough - LET Pro Details How Finishing Outside Of The Top-25 Can Actually See Players LOSE Money
Hannah Gregg has described how even making the cut can see her lose money for a tournament week due to the worrying lack of prize funds on the LET
By Paul Higham Published
-
JM Eagle LA Championship Prize Money Payout 2024
There’s a record purse for a regular-season LPGA Tour event at Wilshire Country Club
By Mike Hall Published
-
Two-Time Major Runner-Up Amy Olson Announces Retirement Aged 31
The LPGA Tour pro, who has been on maternity leave since last year, made the announcement on social media
By Mike Hall Published
-
Angela Stanford’s Pursuit Of 100 Consecutive Majors Could End Painfully Short After Two Huge Blows
The 46-year-old had been hoping to make a 99th successive Major appearance at the US Women's Open, but a double blow means her options are slimmer than ever
By Mike Hall Published
-
Nelly Korda's Fifth Straight Win Helps NBC Record Most-Watched Chevron Championship In Over A Decade
There was a peak TV audience of almost two million on Sunday evening as Korda picked up the second Major of her career
By Jonny Leighfield Published
-
‘Exhausted’ Nelly Korda Puts Bid For Sixth Successive Title On Hold With JM Eagle LA Championship Withdrawal
The Chevron Championship winner has opted to skip the next LPGA Tour event despite initially confirming she would be in the field
By Mike Hall Published
-
'Hopefully Keep The Streak Alive' - Nelly Korda Shows No Signs Of Stopping As World No.1 Targets Sixth Straight Win
After her fifth successive victory, Nelly Korda is eyeing a place in the history books
By Mike Hall Published
-
How Nelly Korda And Scottie Scheffler Have Amassed 9 Wins And Almost $20 Million In Prize Money Over Their Last 10 Starts
The World No.1 pair are on quite the tear right now, as both Korda and Scheffler added yet more silverware to their cabinets after their respective victories
By Matt Cradock Published