DALY CITY, Calif. – Charley Hull isn’t complaining about the difficult hole locations this week.
Or the bumpy Poa annua greens, with their swales and slopes.
Or the cold, damp air and bone-chilling wind at the Mediheal Championship.
She loved the tough test as she climbed into contention Saturday at Lake Merced Golf Club, where the 23-year-old Englishwoman is bidding to win her second LPGA title.
“I love this golf course, because it's long and it's tight,” she said. “I prefer the harder golf courses. I wish we played more of them. I like them when the rough is long, when the courses are long and they're tricky.”
Full-field scores from the LPGA Mediheal Championship
Hull has a tough-guy in her corner these days, a guy who likes a good, hard fight. She is engaged to Ozzie Smith, an English Impact Fight boxer. He’s here this week, supporting her while also mending a broken hand. She was there to support him last month, when he won the supermiddleweight title in England.
They are planning to marry on Sept. 21, after the Solheim Cup.
“He’s my best friend as well,” Hull said. “He’s really good for my golf.”
Hull said it’s helpful being with a fellow professional athlete.
“It’s nice that he understands the challenges,” Hull said. “It’s good, too, when maybe I’m not practicing as hard as I should. He makes me practice hard.”
They’ve been together for a year-and-a-half now.