Staff WriterWorld No.10 Charley Hull has been forced to withdraw from the PIF London Championship on medical advice after an MRI scan revealed damage to her ankle — the latest twist in a run of bad luck that’s been stranger than a soap opera plotline.
The Solheim Cup star, who was still riding the adrenaline of her gutsy runner-up finish at last week’s AIG Women’s Open, had been set to tee it up at Centurion Club. But fate, and a car park curb, had other ideas.
“I rolled my ankle yesterday in the car park,” Hull said, deadpan. “I was lying on the floor shouting for my boyfriend to come get me.”
Despite the setback, Hull will still be on-site over the weekend to meet fans and sign autographs. “I’m devastated not to be competing in front of a home crowd again this week, however I’m really looking forward to supporting the event and spending time with fans this week,” she said.
The withdrawal comes just days after one of the most remarkable weeks of her career, when she battled illness, a back injury, and a fainting spell to finish T2 at Royal Porthcawl.
“I was ill and I hurt my back, and links golf is not my comfort zone,” she admitted. “But my coach Matt, my putting coach Nick, and I worked very hard that week to get me where I am in my game, so big credit to them.”
That “hard work” involved adjusting her putting technique to keep her wrists quieter and staying more grounded through the ball. The result? By Sunday, she “hadn’t struck a bad shot” — not bad for someone who, by her own admission, didn’t think she’d make the cut.
The ankle injury may sideline Charley Hull this week, but her fighting spirit — and her willingness to laugh at her own misfortune — remain intact. As she put it with a grin: “Thomas [Bjørn] said every time he sees me, I’m lying down somewhere. I don’t do it on purpose; I’m naturally clumsy. It runs in my dad’s genes.”
With her sights still set on the International Crown and the upcoming Asian swing, Hull’s latest setback is just another hurdle in a career defined by grit, candour, and the occasional pratfall.
