Charley Hull was hoping to achieve more from the US Women’s Open than become the subject of a viral video of her smoking cigarettes, but England’s highest-ranked golfer – of either gender – seems destined to see another major title slip her capable grasp escapes.
A third-round 72 was far from disastrous at a Pennsylvania course that has only re-emphasized the US Golf Association’s reputation as a sadistic tracker, but Hull, 28, needed far less to get into the mix come.
The world number 8 is nine down and barring something exceptional, she won’t be able to match her heroics when she finished second in the most illustrious women’s game last year.
After an opening 75, Hull have fought back with a pair of two-overs, which can at least be described as commendable in the brutal test of Lancaster Country Club.
Of course, the USGA is notorious for producing exams at the male US Open that are regularly deemed searching to the point of unfair, and while the players of the William Flynn creation haven’t whined this week, there’s no doubt that the challenge has been on the edge.
Nelly Korda, the world No. 1 who came in having won six of her last seven events, missed the cut, as did other big names such as defending champion Allisen Corpuz, Rose Zhang and Brooke Henderson.
Golf never follows neat scripts, but it was especially disappointing that Korda – who scored an 80 in the first round – is absent on a weekend when the women’s sport is clearly desperate for attention.
In part, Hull, this wonderfully unconstructed person from Kettering, has done her part by attracting attention on social media. It has been an open secret for several months that the gym enthusiast has taken up smoking and Telegraph Sport understands the TV footage has been cut away as she is in the middle of a puff.
But the lenses caught her this week and there was a humorous moment when Korda approached Hull and showed her the incriminating evidence. Joined by Megan Khang, the trio burst out laughing.
Hull, an extremely talented ball striker who has spoken publicly about being diagnosed with ADHD, is known as a one-off and if reports out of Pennsylvania are true, her legend as a unique character will grow. When asked why she has the habit, Hull apparently told the reporter, “Because I want to quit vaping.”
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