"Kind of weird" - When 17-year-old Charley Hull got real about playing alongside her childhood Solheim Cup heroes

Charley Hull once expressed her thoughts on playing alongside her childhood heroes Suzann Pettersen, Laura Davies, and Catriona Matthew. At just 17 years old, Charley Hull played in the 2013 Solheim Cup. She was the youngest player on Team Europe and got to play alongside her childhood idols.

Born on March 20, 1996, in Kettering, England, Hull started playing golf when she was just two. She joined her father to play golf at Kettering Golf Club. Growing up, she had played in tournaments across the U.S. and Great Britain. By 13, Hull decided to focus on playing golf full-time and in 2013, she turned professional. While appearing at the 2013 Solheim Cup, the English golfer expressed her excitement, saying via ASAP Sports:

"kind of weird, but it feels right when you've been looking at them for so long and then you're on the team with them. Yeah, well, I looked up to Laura, Katrina, Suzann, so many."

In her rookie year on the Ladies European Tour, Hull finished second in five straight events. Given her performance, Hull earned a place on Team Europe for the Solheim Cup 2013. During the team event, Hull played a role in Europe's win over the U.S. as she won her singles match against Paula Creamer, securing a 5&4 victory.

In 2014, she won her first LET title at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco. Followed by winning the LET Order of Merit and the LET Player of the Year award, the same season. In 2016, Hull won her first LPGA Tour event at the CME Group Tour Championship. At the 2023 U.S. Women's Open and the Women's British Open, she finished runner-up. As of now, Hull is eyeing the 2025 Ford Championship.

Charley Hull gears up for the 2025 Ford Championship

Golf: Solheim Cup-Europe at USA - Source: Imagn

Charley Hull is all set to play at the 2025 Ford Championship, held at Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Arizona. The tournament starting on March 27 also marks Whirlwind's first time hosting an LPGA Tour event.

Charley Hull played at the 2024 Ford Championship at Seville Golf and Country Club in Gilbert, Arizona. However, she withdrew after the first round due to illness. Hull will play alongside Nelly Korda, Lilia Vu, A Lim Kim, and Yealimi Noh. With seven wins last year, Korda is defending her title.

Additionally, Charley Hull has started on a promising note in the 2025 season. She finished tied for 19th at the Founders Cup in Florida. Followed by securing a tied T4 finish at the HSBC Women's World Championship in Singapore earlier this month. She finished six shots behind Lydia Ko in the final round.

Although Hull did not secure any LPGA titles in 2024, she won the Ladies European Tour at the Aramco Team Series event in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Followed by carding four top-10 finishes on the LPGA Tour, marked by solid performances at the ANNIIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, finishing runner-up. Currently, Charley Hull is ranked 10th in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings.