Charley Hull’s pre-round routine takes early preparation to a whole new level.
While most players might set an alarm a few hours before teeing off, Hull was wide awake at 2:30 a.m. before Thursday’s opening round of the Ford Championship. She wasn’t just battling jet lag – she was on a mission.
Before her 7:44 a.m. tee time, Hull:
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- Woke at 2:30 a.m. to call family back in England
- Ran a “little 7K” on the treadmill
- Completed rowing threshold workouts
- Trained her lower body
Hull spent a full two hours in the gym (4-6 a.m.) before heading to Whirlwind Golf Club at Wild Horse Pass, where she promptly fired a 9-under 63 to take the first-round lead.
The craziest part? She thinks she left shots on the course.
“No,” Hull said when asked if she was satisfied with her round. “I feel like I left, actually, a good four shots out there. Like the last, I lipped on the left edge. The hole before, I left it like an inch short. Went in the jaws on a few holes before and it just stayed out. Then I missed a birdie putt on the front nine, and that was like from like 6 feet. So, I’m looking back thinking, oh, I could have done more.”
Hull did eventually give herself some credit: “I putted pretty well. I chipped pretty well. I hit it pretty well with my iron shots. I don’t think I missed a green and didn’t really miss any fairways. I was hitting it good and just felt confident.”
Her driver was particularly dialed in after making some adjustments earlier in the week.
“I tweaked it at the start of the week and really, really, really hit it well today,” Hull said.
The stats back up her assessment. Hull found 11 of 14 fairways, hit all 18 greens in regulation and needed just 28 putts. That performance gave her a one-shot lead over Nanna Koerstz Madsen in Chandler, Arizona. Eight players posted 7-under 65s, while defending champion Nelly Korda opened with a 67.
At one point during her back nine, Hull even entertained thoughts of shooting 59 – which would’ve been just the second in LPGA history after Annika Sorenstam’s historic round in Arizona back in March 2001.
What makes Hull’s round even more impressive is that she initially told her father the course didn’t suit her eye. Dad reminded her she’d once said the same about the season-finale venue – right before winning there the following year.
Her boyfriend also provided some pre-round motivation: “What will make me happy is seeing you on the top of the leaderboard, and just smash it.” She clearly took his advice to heart, especially off the tee.
Hull is looking to end a nearly three-year winless drought on tour. She came close in her previous start four weeks ago in Singapore, sitting just one shot off the 54-hole lead before a final-round 74 dropped her into a tie for fourth.
While shootouts haven’t historically been her strength, Hull seems comfortable with an aggressive approach for the remaining rounds. Her second-round tee time isn’t until 12:39 p.m. local time – which means she’ll either catch up on some much-needed sleep or find more time for another intense workout to fill those morning hours.
