GAINESVILLE, Va. – Suzann Pettersen is grateful to have a Charley Hull on her European Solheim Cup team. A Charley Hull.
“Thankfully, we only have one of her on our team because imagine having 12 of her. That would be kind of a handful,” Pettersen said earlier this week.
Fortunately for Pettersen, there is no one else like Charley Hull.
“Well, I’m just myself,” Hull said Thursday at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. “If I like things, I like it for myself. If other people don’t like it, well, it’s not their life. I live me. I live my life the way I want to live it, not how anyone else wants me to live it. I think just literally just live like a normal person.”
That person loves glamour and dressing up, loves working out, loves golf, doesn’t like drinking, doesn’t like smoking (but does so anyway), and doesn’t mind speaking her mind.
Hull has become a social media celebrity over the last two years, because of all of the above. She has 625,000 followers on Instagram but, much like with cigarettes, she’s not a fan of the platform.
“Truthfully, I don’t have access to my Instagram,” Hull said. “I stopped being on Instagram six months ago now. My agent posts everything for me. I don’t log onto it. I don’t do nothing on it. I literally send her the photos I want to be posted and she’ll post them for me.
“I feel like social media can be too time consuming. You can get too obsessed with it rather than just living in the real world. I think it’s unbelievable how many followers I’ve gained.”
This will mark Hull’s seventh Solheim Cup appearance, her first coming as a 17-year-old in 2013, when she beat Paula Creamer in singles and then asked for Creamer’s autograph because a friend wanted it.
Hull was supposed to attend a friend’s birthday party the week of the Colorado matches, and was initially “gutted” she had to miss it.
“My dad was like, you’ve got to go to the Solheim Cup. I was like, but I’m going to miss my friend’s birthday party,” Hull said. “Played in it; didn’t realize how big it was, and I was like, thank goodness I come here.”
Now 28 and ranked 12th in the world, Hull has a dedicated following, despite having just one LPGA victory since ’16. Her public profile grew when she opened up late last year about what she described as self-diagnosed ADHD. That came after she had inspired near-misses at both the U.S. Women’s Open, where her “shy kids don’t get sweets” comment on the 72nd hole went viral, and the AIG Women’s Open.
People were then fascinated by her smoking on the course and her revelation that she only started smoking cigarettes to quit vaping.
That’s Charley Hull logic and why she both entertains exhausts those around her.
“She’s different than everyone else, and that’s why people love her, and that’s why like – she’s just really fun to be around and a really genuine, kind person. Obviously a great golfer, so obviously that helps,” said European teammate and best friend Georgia Hall.
“I think the fact she doesn’t care what anyone thinks and goes about her life the way she wants, I think a lot of people can learn from that.”
Thursday, Hull was spotted bumming a lighter from a fan — not the first time that has happened. She’s previously been slipped numbers from fans hoping for a date and, this week, it wouldn’t be a surprise to hear plenty of “Charley!” chants among the pro-U.S. crowd.
“I love the American crowds. It’s so much fun. I always love playing a Solheim Cup in America because the atmosphere is unbelievable,” Hull said.
“I don’t know, we play over here every week on the LPGA Tour and I just really enjoy it. The crowds are a great laugh. Even though they’re supporting America they’re still respectful, and we just have a lot of fun out there.”