‘Shy kids don’t get sweets’ Charley Hull’s inspired charge at US Women’s Open

“Shy kids don’t get sweets,”  Charley Hull declared as she found her ball stuck behind the fairway tree on her 72nd hole at Pebble Beach.

It was an unfamiliar turn of phrase uttered to her longtime caddie Adam Woodward – but what was clear was that Hull was not going down in the US Women’s Open without a fight.

The Englishwoman had been playing inspired golf all day on the iconic Californian links. She was well out of reach seven behind heading into her final round but an enthralling Sunday charge left her right in the mix.

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Hull’s eagle on the second followed up with three birdies in her next four holes was exactly the kind of electric start that was needed to force her way into contention.

The fearless Solheim Cup star was firing at flags and picked up two more shots at 10 and 11 to apply pressure to American leader Allisen Corpuz.

Hull moved to within two of the lead with a fist-pump as she drained a birdie putt on 16, but Corpuz was unrelenting and posted back-to-back birdies on 14 and 15 to effectively seal the deal.

Corpuz’s brilliance ultimately made Hull’s chase a thankless task as she posted six birdies in her final round to also hold off Japan’s Nasa Hataoka with a three-under closing 69.

66 🔥

Charley Hull put on a Sunday show at Pebble Beach.#USWomensOpen pic.twitter.com/otOdqQ3rBx

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 10, 2023

Not deterred, however, Hull was prepared to go for the jugular on 18 as she plotted a route under the branches of the cypress tree that cruelly stands on the fairway of the famous hole.

Banking on a Corpuz collapse, Hull opted for the Hail Mary in a bid to finish with a closing eagle.

She took out 3-wood and struck a well-hit low draw under the tree, but could not produce a miracle as she found the left bunker short of the green.

The eagle chance had gone and Hull ultimately finished with a par after missing a 10-footer to card a closing 65 and finish on seven-under.

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But her superb action-packed 66 was the finest score of the day and Corpuz certainly had an extra element of pressure on the back-nine before lifting her first LPGA title title and claiming the record $2m winner’s cheque.

“I got off to a fast start. I haven’t been nervous and today my game just clicked,” Hull said.

“I kept looking at the lead. I didn’t see she was at [minus] 10 but I thought I needed eagle so I went for it on 18 and thought I’d made the birdie putt but it just died left on me.”

For Hull, the consolation was a runner-up cheque for $969,231 and her joint best major finish.

And this inspired Sunday charge will give the 27-year-old hope that she is not far away from ending her own long wait for a maiden major crown.

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.