Charley Hull stuns fans with dramatic new look – even her putting coach didn't recognise her

Charley Hull has joked for years about changing her trademark blonde hair for a darker look.

This time, she actually went through with it – and the transformation was so dramatic that even one of the people who works closely with her failed to recognise her.

The English star returned to LPGA action at the FM Championship at TPC Boston on Thursday rocking a brunette hairstyle, revealing the new look to her followers on Instagram.

“Gone to the dark side,” Hull captioned a series of five photographs showing off her new appearance.

Golf social media star Paige Spiranac was among those quick to approve, replying: “It looks so good.”

But the biggest reaction came during Thursday’s opening round, when Golf Channel reporter Karen Stupples revealed that Hull’s putting coach, Nick Soto, had walked straight past his player without realising it was her.

It appears Hull’s new look really did catch everyone off guard.

The 30-year-old is normally instantly recognisable on the golf course thanks in part to her blonde locks, but she arrived at TPC Boston looking noticeably different as she made her return to the LPGA Tour.

Hull opened with a 1-under 71 to sit tied for 19th after the first round, seven shots behind early leader Sei Young Kim.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda fared a shot worse than Hull with a level-par 72.

Hull's appearance in Boston marks her first LPGA start since an impressive tied-sixth finish at the AIG Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

She followed that performance by finishing runner-up to 17-year-old Anna Huang at the PIF London Championship on the Ladies European Tour.

Hull, currently ranked No. 7 in the world, has remained one of the most recognisable and popular figures in women's golf, with her personality and social-media presence regularly making headlines away from the course.

Her AIG Women's Open appearance also attracted plenty of attention after a lottery prank involving her caddie sparked controversy, with Hull subsequently responding to the backlash.

She had been confirmed to play in this week's KPMG Women's Irish Open at The K Club but withdrew from the event to compete in Boston instead. 

The FM Championship boasts a $4.4 million purse, making it one of the more lucrative events on the LPGA schedule.

And Hull will not have much time to settle into her new look.

In just two weeks, she is due to represent Team Europe at the Solheim Cup at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands. 

It will be her eighth appearance in the biennial contest, where she owns an impressive 15-9-3 record.

For now, though, it seems Hull has managed to achieve something that is surprisingly difficult for a professional golfer: completely catching her own putting coach by surprise.

After years of joking about going brunette, Charley Hull has finally gone to the dark side – and apparently, nobody saw it coming.

Keep track of live scores at the FM Championship on the LPGA here

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