Charley Hull is back – but this time with the help of a fan.
The Englishwoman stopped in the middle of her practice round for the Solheim Cup at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Gainesville, Virginia, on Thursday to borrow a fan’s lighter so she could light a cigarette.
Hull has become a viral sensation on the golf course after lighting a cigarette while signing autographs at the US Open, drawing comparisons to longtime golf personality John Daly.
The 28-year-old goes into the opening matches of the Solheim Cup on Friday as number 12 in the LPGA world rankings and has seen a huge increase in her popularity on social media on Instagram, where she now has 625,000 followers – although she didn’t know it.
“I don’t have access to my Instagram – I haven’t been on Instagram for about six months,” she told reporters on Thursday, noting that her agent manages the account. “It’s incredible how many followers I’ve gained – I didn’t even realize how many I had. I just think it’s pretty cool.”
Fans seem to see this, as her star rose this year thanks to a few nicotine shots on the golf course – she even signed a cigarette for one lucky fan.
“I don’t know exactly. I just love playing golf in America, I love the American crowd,” she said. “They’re so much fun – I love playing Solheim Cup in America because the atmosphere is amazing. We play here every week on the LPGA Tour and I just really enjoy it, the crowd is so fun.”
The feeling is mutual – even among her Solheim Cup teammates.
“Charley? She’s different to everyone else and that’s why people love her and that’s why she’s just fun to be around and she’s a really genuine, nice person,” said Hull’s European teammate and British friend Georgia Hall. “She’s obviously a great golfer so that obviously helps but yeah, I think a lot of people can learn from the fact that she doesn’t care what other people think and lives her life the way she wants to.”
Hull has no plans to change anything because she has found the secret formula – on and off the golf course.
“I’m just being myself,” she said. “I’m just being myself. If I like something, I like it for me. If other people don’t like it, it’s not their life. Just live like a normal person.”
She will have to light more than a cigarette to help Europe win its first Solheim Cup at the fourth attempt.
Hull and her teammate Esther Henseleit were unable to defeat Americans Nelly Korda and Allisen Corpuz on the back nine holes, as the USA won three of the four morning matches.
