Charley Hull wins LET Order of Merit

Charley Hull has become the youngest-ever golfer to win the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit

Charley Hull has become the youngest-ever golfer to win the Ladies European Tour Order of Merit.

The 18-year-old finished in a tie for 5th at the Omega Dubai Masters following a closing round of 72.

The only other person capable of winning the title was Gwladys Nocera, who needed to finish inside the top four to have any chance of depriving Hull.

The Frenchwoman compiled a final-round 71, but it was only enough for a share of 11th place.

China's Sheshang Feng, meanwhile, closed with a 70 to win the tournament by five shots from Carlota Ciganda.

Hull started with an untimely double bogey, but steadied the ship with back-to-back birdies from the 2nd and nine pars in her closing 10 holes.

"It's good to win," said Hull. "On the back nine today, I just thought don't make any silly mistakes.

"I doubled the first but got two birdies on the bounce back so I was pretty happy with myself there.

"I went double, birdie, birdie, bogey, birdie, so it was an interesting front nine. But towards the end of the back nine, I really got the feeling with my woods off the tee and started feeling a lot more confident."

Hull played in 17 events in 2014 and amassed €263,097.

After five runner-up finishes in 2013, she claimed her maiden Ladies European Tour title at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco this March.

Hull is currently 38th in the world - the highest-ranked Englishwomen in the Rolex Rankings.

The Kettering native announced herself on the global stage with an incredible debut performance in the 2013 Solheim Cup in Colorado, where team European won for the first time on US soil.

She defeated one of her idols, Paula Creamer, in the singles and then proceeded to ask the former major champion for an autograph.