30-07-2025
Charley Hull, Once Dubbed 'Female Tiger Woods,' Avoids 'Rubbish' Golf Training
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Back in 2005, 9-year-old Charley Hull stunned the golf world by winning the Ladies Golf Union Championship at Turnberry, beating a 46-year-old in a playoff.
Soon after that victory, Hull was dubbed the "female Tiger Woods." Yet, years later, she is still trying to break through and win her first major championship. She has one more chance to do so before the end of the 2025 season.
The final major tees off at the AIG Women's Open this week, and Hull has returned to the Welsh links hoping to break her major duck.
ERIN, WISCONSIN - MAY 30: Charley Hull of England walks the 14th fairway during the second round of the U.S. Women's Open presented by Ally 2025 at Erin Hills Golf Course on May 30, 2025...
ERIN, WISCONSIN - MAY 30: Charley Hull of England walks the 14th fairway during the second round of the U.S. Women's Open presented by Ally 2025 at Erin Hills Golf Course on May 30, 2025 in Erin, Wisconsin. (Photo by) More
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Clearly, she's not chasing Woods' legacy, but that was never her plan.
"I want to be my own person really," 10-year-old Hull replied at that time, as reposted by @jamierkennedy on X. "Everyone is saying you're the new Tiger Woods and I think yeah, well, whatever. I want to be myself".
That defiance has defined Hull's career. She's making her own path, as evidenced by how she has called out traditional golf training, labeling it "a load of rubbish," and instead focuses on fitness for her own mental and physical wellbeing.
"I don't train for golf, I train to keep my body and mind fit," Hull told BBC Sport as quoted. "I've no interest in doing it for golf. I just do it for myself, as a hobby, trying to beat my own fitness goals."
When asked to clarify what golf training was. She responded, "I'm not on about training as in chipping and putting. I can do that for hours all day. It's all this boring movement stuff I've been doing since I was 14. It's just not for me."
Hull's daily fitness routine also includes chasing a sub-20-minute 5K and quitting smoking.
"I was on about 40 a day, so I just thought, I don't want to be smoking 40 cigarettes a day, so I just quit straight away," she expressed to BBC Sports before the AIG Wommen's Open. "It's the easiest thing I've ever done," the Englishwoman added.
LPGA's Charley Hull says, second is 'first loser' before last major
Since turning pro in 2013, Hull has racked up six wins across the LPGA and LET, and has been a fixture on six consecutive Solheim Cup teams. Yet, a major title under her name remains missing.
The 29-year-old has nine top-10 finishes in golf majors. Among those, Hull has ranked herself in the runner-up position three times.
Still, the LPGA pro stated in her recent interview with BBC that, "Second to me is first loser." She added, "But I'm in a great position because if you're not asking (about the chances), I'm not doing something right".
Her preparation for Royal Porthcawl has been far from ideal.
After collapsing during the first round of the Evian Championship earlier this month, Hull returned to action at the Scottish Open, finishing T21 while still recovering from a virus.
Charley Hull's Evian Championship is over. Suffering from a virus she collapsed twice on the 4th tee and was taken off the course via stretcher. — Meg Adkins (@megadkins_TFE) July 10, 2025
"I've not been to the gym in two weeks and I'm not going to go for another two," she stated at Dundonald Links. "I need my immune system to catch up. It drives me bonkers not being able to go to the gym".
Hull's social media followers know her gym obsession pretty well. The English pro keeps her fans up to date with her daily workout posts and fitness goals. But when it comes to golf, she's all feel, no fluff.
As she returns to Royal Porthcawl, where she won the Junior Vagliano Trophy in 2011, Hull is hoping the wind picks up.
"Links is going to be a challenge, and I hope the wind is up because I like finding links hard," she expressed as quoted.
And when asked what it'll take to finally win a major? Hull bluntly replied during the same interview, "I need to not put too much pressure on my golf, not be too golf obsessed. Like when I was younger, I was never that obsessed."
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