Charley Hull makes every amateur golfer feel better with hilarious AIG Women’s Open admission

Charley Hull produced a brilliant fightback at Royal Lytham & St Annes after admitting she “played like a 10-handicapper” during the opening stages of her third round at the AIG Women’s Open.

The English star kept her hopes of a first major title alive on Saturday after recovering from a disastrous start to card a level-par 71.

Hull began the day looking to make a move up the leaderboard, but her challenge was immediately tested after bogeys on the 1st, 3rd and 6th holes left her 3-over for the round after just six holes.

However, the three-time LPGA winner showed exactly why she remains one of the most dangerous players in the women’s game by responding strongly. 

Hull, ranked seventh in the world, recovered nicely to finish the day at 2-under par for the championship and remain five shots off the pace with 18 holes left to play in Lancashire. 

The 30-year-old was brutally honest when assessing her slow start to the third round, admitting she was far from her best during the opening stretch. 

“I was pretty proud of my fightback,” said Hull, before making every amateur hack feel better about themselves. 

“I played the first six holes like a 10-handicapper.”

The Englishwoman revealed she missed several short putts that she felt she should have converted. 

“I missed at least three putts that I should have holed from, like, five foot and in,” she continued. 

“I think they would have kept me at level par instead of 3-over, and then I did have the bounce back, so I was pretty happy with the way I finished.”

Hull added: “I found the greens a bit more bobbly out there this afternoon.

“Once you miss one putt, then you don’t trust the greens sometimes. You struggle to trust your stroke.”

Despite losing momentum early on, Hull managed to find a way back into the round by simplifying her approach on the back nine.

“The back nine I just concentrated on keeping my head down, so that really helped me,” she added.

That fighting mentality has been a defining feature of Hull’s week at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

Hull has continued to play aggressively throughout the championship, and will need that same fearless approach on Sunday as she attempts to close a five-shot gap on runaway leader Yealimi Noh, who carded a composed 69 on Saturday. 

Hull also praised the home support she received from the crowds, admitting the atmosphere helped lift her during one of the toughest spells of her tournament.

“It was really good, it was really, really cool to interact with the crowd when they’re cheering your name and stuff, it was nice to see,” Hull said. 

Earlier in the week, Hull found herself at the centre of social media debate after receiving heavy criticism for a fake scratch card prank involving her long-time caddie Adam Woodward.

However, she dismissed the backlash and insisted she was not concerned about outside opinions, explaining that her team found the joke funny and that was what mattered most.

Now, Hull’s full focus is on chasing major glory after years of close calls. 

GolfMagic has launched a brand new women's golf podcast called 'Her Game'. Our first episode goes live next week, so stay tuned.