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RICOH WOMENâ€™S BRITISH OPEN

August 1, 2018

Charley Hull

Fife, Scotland

MODERATOR: Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. We have Charley Hull with us, one of the distinguished hosts for this week's championship. Charley, you've had a great run in the majors this year, I think two sixth place finishes in the Top 10. So you must be rather confident going in here this week.

CHARLEY HULL: Yeah. I've been playing pretty well so far this year. I've had a couple of Top 10s outside the majors as well. So I feel like my game is coming into shape how I want it to be, because I practiced quite hard over the winter and I've been practicing hard this year as well, and I just feel really confident in my game.

MODERATOR: Dame Laura Davies was in here earlier today and she actually picked you out as one of the favorites for this week. Are you pleased to hear that?

CHARLEY HULL: Yeah. That's pretty cool for Laura to pick me because she's always been my idol. But I enjoy playing links golf. I think the Scottish Open last week helped me get back into links play because it's been a year since I played it last. Yeah, I'm feeling confident.

MODERATOR: You were here as a ten-year-old to play in the pro am. Have you actually played competitively on Lytham?

CHARLEY HULL: No, I haven't. Monday was my first time back on the golf course. I only played nine or ten holes and then played the pro am yesterday and then played 11 holes today. So I like the golf course. I have good memories, because the last time I played here in the pro am was with Morgan Pressel. So it's fun.

MODERATOR: That must have been fun as a ten-year-old playing with Morgan. Did she not just become the youngest winner of the U.S. Women's Open?

CHARLEY HULL: No, it was the ANA.

MODERATOR: You're also a Ricoh ambassador, and this week Ricoh are doing a charity thing for Alzheimer's disease, birdies, eagles and holes-and-one. That's quite a good thing to do.

CHARLEY HULL: Yeah. I think it's great because obviously it gives a bit more inspiration to make some more birdies and stuff. I think it's brilliant. Hopefully everyone can make those birdies because it goes to a great cause.

MODERATOR: Okay. Thank you very much. We'll open it up for questions.

Q. Charley, you mentioned that you're practicing harder this year. Do you find yourself just burning with a little bit more desire to get a major this year?
CHARLEY HULL: Yeah. I feel like, yeah, I want to obviously win a major and stuff. And I just feel -- I've been enjoying my golf and enjoying practicing, and my head is pretty focused at the moment, and I've got good people around me that are like making me concentrate, and I think it's good.

Q. Charley, is the difference between you going from not winning a major to winning a major a technical golf thing or is it a mental thing, attitude?
CHARLEY HULL: Well, kind of a mental thing. I think coming like Top 10 in the majors so far this year gives you a bit of an insight, if you know what I mean. And now I just need to finish it. Because if you look back to the women's PGA championship like a month ago, I really was pushing it back and really going for it. I was within one or two of the lead with a few holes to go, and I made two stupid breakers coming in. It was playing tricky, but just little swings and shots like that, especially like the first few rounds as well, like a little putt there or here and there from a little bit of concentration, and I just need to think in my head every little shot counts.

Q. And you don't seem like a person that's affected by pressure, but have you felt pressure to win major championships or maybe particularly this one as you've been emerging?
CHARLEY HULL: I think it's a little bit of pressure because it's like your home championship. I don't know. I don't really think of it like that. I just want to go out there, give myself a chance and see if I can push it and go ahead and win it. It's fun. I really like the feeling of the pressure, though, with the last few holes. I don't know, it just gives you different feelings. Like you hit it a lot further. And I don't know, I just like it.

Q. Charley, I think I read somewhere that you described yourself as having matured as a golfer. So can you just talk us through that? And also, have you added anything to your game in particular in preparation for links golf?
CHARLEY HULL: Well, I haven't added anything from the bag this week. I've just kept everything the same, because I've just been working on some shots and stuff and keeping the ball low. Because it's quite strange, this year me and my coach have been working on me hitting it higher with my driver and stuff, and that's actually helped me a lot, because before when I used to hit my driver high, I used to be a bit scared of the bunker out to the right because I'd have this weird thing in my head since I was younger. I think that's a big thing this year that's helped me with my golf game. So coming to links I'll go back to hitting it low. And yeah, maturing, I just feel like I'm more patient on the golf course. Like I just take a bit more time reading my putts and stuff and just concentrate. And off the golf course as well, and I just feel really focused.

Q. Charley, talk about the people who are surrounding you. Who is your team?
CHARLEY HULL: I work with my trainer and my physio, Jason. And Matthew is from Australia. And my caddie, Adam Woodward. And I have my two coaches, and Matt Belsham, he's my swing coach and does my short game, and then my putting coach is Nick Soto from Northhampton.

Q. He looks after Georgia as well, does he?
CHARLEY HULL: I think so.

Q. Is he like the go-to for the British players?
CHARLEY HULL: I'm not sure. I just go to him. He's really good, and like he's 20 minutes away from my house and we've got on really well and I've loads of good things with him, so I started working with him about 10 months ago.

Q. What has he helped you with in particular?
CHARLEY HULL: I don't know. He's got a studio and we go to the studio and he was working with my stroke because there was quite a few things wrong with it, so we just worked on that over the winter and just giving me tips and stuff to make me feel confident.

Q. I have just a local question. (Indiscernible), how is she doing on the LPGA with you?
CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, I think she's doing pretty good. I don't really look how people are doing. I just concentrate on my own game. But I think she's playing pretty good. I've known Brittany since I was about 10. And I think she'll be good on links golf courses, and I wish her the best this week.

Q. Charley, if I recall correctly, when the women's British was played at your home course, that was a little challenging because everything that came with it. And what did you learn from that week and playing a major at home?
CHARLEY HULL: I just remember the first tee shot. I'm never nervous, and my legs were shaking and everything because you've got everyone there that you know and everyone thinks because you play that golf course you're going to know it and you should do well. And it just kind of made me like -- it taught me how to deal with pressure in different ways, like expectations from people and stuff. And at the end of the day I just thought to myself, now, it's good to be in that position like everyone is expecting you to do well because you're obviously playing good. So hopefully it's there again one day.

Q. Charley, you inspire a lot of young girls and you have a lot following you. How important is it to you to inspire girls to get into golf?
CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, I think it's great because they're the next generation. With me when I was younger I looked up to a lot of players and they inspired me so without them I wouldn't have been here, and I just think it's great. It's an honor.

Q. And what else can you remember when you played in the pro am here?
CHARLEY HULL: I remember Morgan Pressel telling me to acknowledge the crowd and like saying thank you, and I tipped my cap and waved at them. I remember that. That was fun.

Q. Charley, I'm interested when you broke through and won the ^ CME Group Tour Championship on the LPGA Tour end of 2016, was that something you felt you needed in terms of confidence of being an LPGA Tour winner to perhaps now break through on the major stage as well?
CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, 100 percent. And like I feel like I know how to -- because it's quite a big tournaments and up on the big stage. And how do I say it, like it gives me confidence, but then I didn't really start too well at the beginning of last year. I ended quite strongly, but I feel like I wasn't focused, and now I feel focused. So hopefully I can get some more wins in. But yeah, it was a big confidence booster winning that.

Q. Charley, just a couple of things. First of all, sorry to go back to 2009. How did you get in the pro am?
CHARLEY HULL: It was 2006.

Q. 2006.
CHARLEY HULL: Yeah. So it was the time before. I won an event. What was it?

Q. You won an event. Anyway. You won an event?
CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, it was at Turnberry. It was like the health section. I think it was. I don't know. But yeah, it was like a national event and I won it and I got to play in the pro am.

Q. Okay. And did you stay for the whole week?
CHARLEY HULL: I think I stayed for a few days, yeah. And then I played some golf courses up there. I just remember walking around and watching everyone play golf.

Q. She beat a lady who was 46 years old. You were 10 at the time?
CHARLEY HULL: Nine. I can't remember too much of it.

Q. And one more thing. Your wrist. Is everything good?
CHARLEY HULL: Yeah. My wrist is fine. I haven't felt it at all, so it's good. It's back to normal. Can't say anything about that.

Q. Charley, how are you going to play this golf course? Are you going to take driver out of the bag quite often? What's your tactic?
CHARLEY HULL: My caddie today was giving me a few options. And I was just like, listen, when we get to the tee box on the day and see where the wind is coming from, then I'll make my decision how I'm feeling and how I'm playing. I have got game plans and stuff. But some holes need driver and some holes don't. Just try and keep it out of the bunkers. There is a lot of bunkers around. Like laying up, you gotta bring the bunkers into play, so it's whatever I feel comfortable with in the day.

Q. When you go out for competition, what do you feel like you have to practice more, your short game or your long game?
CHARLEY HULL: Probably my putting because I do hit a lot of greens on my rounds. If I holed more putts, I would win. And everyone says like putting and short game is your main thing, but I do actually think driver as well and your tee shots you have to be good because you have to get the ball in play to get on the green.

MODERATOR: I think that's something we could all learn from. Charley, thank you very much indeed. Good luck this week.

CHARLEY HULL: Thanks, guys.

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