Charlie Hull is in the best position to claim the first major title. Photo: Getty Images/Glyn Kirk
Charlie Hull vowed to chase Here in the third round of the AIG Women's Open, she edged out the night leader and she stayed true to her word with a brilliant 68 that took her to nine under and a share leadership.
What a chance this is for the 27 year old to finally win her first major tournament. Walton Heath is one of Hull's favorite spots, and just two hours from her hometown of Kettering on the M1, this wasteland in Surrey is the perfect place for her to make the breakthrough that her outstanding talent has always promised.
< p>Hull has two main medallists, including one at the US Women's Open two months ago, but interestingly, she hasn't made the top 10 at the Women's Open yet in her 11 previous attempts.
Hull, the world No. 16, has a chance to decisively correct this anomaly, and if her short game and approach to the game remains as hot, then on Sunday evening England may well celebrate their first home victory since Georgia Hall, a close friend of Hull. won the Royal Lythan five years ago.
“When Georgia won it was incredible,” Hull said. “Doing it [for England] again would be unrealistic. But it's step by step.”
Impressive galleries cheered her along the way, from Hull hitting a 15-foot first shot to making a perfect double save on the 18th numbers – after three rolls in a row since the 15th – to join Lilia. Woo from above.
“It was so windy, but I dug deep,” Hull said. “I hit the ball well and I was confident. I'm very proud of myself, so I can't wait to get back in the tub. I was supposed to go to boxing to see AJ [Anthony Joshua] tonight, but I'll just relax. Tomorrow, of course, is a big day, but I'll just try to be aggressive and make birds. Golf is a game. You play it because it's fun.”
Wu won the main tournament of the season – the Chevron championship – and this 67th one showed the quality of a 25-year-old player. And with 11 other players within five shots, Hull clearly won't be doing things his own way. But as she begins her hectic day of moving a fifth day behind, Hull will be delighted with the great strides she has made under difficult conditions.
So much for being a wannabe Open last month, where Brian Harman took advantage of five shots halfway through and never offered his pursuers even a sniff after that. Harman's compatriot Ellie Ewing enjoyed the same 36-hole cushion, but with 75 suffering from six ghosts, she dropped back to fifth place seven short, one spot behind Angel Lyn and Hyo Joo Kim.European captain Suzanne Pettersen will be delighted to see not only Hull but also Lynn Grant in the roster. The Swede with a Scottish grandfather will almost certainly make her debut in the Solheim Cup in Spain in six weeks, and the 24-year-old can still head to Finca Cortesin, a mountainous area overlooking the Costa del Sol, where the blue and golds will attempt a historic third consecutive victory. over the US as a major champion.
Grant, a five-time European Women's Tour winner who had only 10 pro starts, broke a duck in the last round of the LPGA. month, is six or less past 68, showing off six birds. Unlike Hull, Grant will not shoot every pin. Indeed, it will be an interesting exploration of the clash of styles that we will see on this crucial Sunday.
“Tomorrow I will just go out like today,” she said. “I'm thinking about the score but also giving it a chance without playing too aggressively or too stupid.”
World No. 1 Nelly Korda is also at arm's length after 69 points moved into the bottom four . If it wasn't for her putting, the American would have been even closer to pace, and it's no wonder she fled to the putting green to try and find a solution for the Sunday crush.
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