Charley Hull forced into mid-round treatment on LPGA Tour

Fresh from her first victory in two years at the Aramco Team Series in Riyadh, Charley Hull stormed into a share of the lead at the The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican on the LPGA Tour.

The box-office Englishwoman made seven-birdies and one bogey to join South Korea’s Jiwon Jeon at the summit after round one in Florida.

Hull’s superb 64 was not as plain sailing as it first appeared, however. She was forced to call a physio midway through her round due to a hip complaint.

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Footage on the Golf Channel showed Hull lying on the floor to receive treatment.

Yet she waslearly not too affected, because she got back up and made three birdies to vault to the top of the leaderboard.

“I always have bad hips,” Hull said afterwards. “I’ve been kind of lazy on the physio the last two weeks,” she explained.  “Haven’t really had any physio and it’s just gone out.

“Yesterday I wasn’t feeling very well in the pro-am, had stomach pains and cramps and stuff. I think it just tightened my whole body up. I’m going to have a bit of physio and some needles put in me after the round.”

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Nelly Korda, meanwhile, was back in action for the first time in two months in Florida. The world No.1 shot an impressive four-under 66 on her return from injury.

“Was definitely a little nervous on the first couple holes, just not knowing what to expect of my game because I have not been playing too much,” Korda said.

“Under pressure it is very different from when you just kind of go out on a cart by yourself and you kind of just play a round. But pretty happy with the way I played.”

Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh, meanwhile, is a shot behind Hull and Jeon after opening with a 65.

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.