The Dinah Shore Tournament Course has historically been very kind to Charley Hull. The English star is competing in her eighth ANA Inspiration, dating back to her first appearance as an amateur in 2012. That debut performance brought her “worst” finish to date, a tie for 38th. Since then, Hull has never finished worse than 26th, including a runner-up finish in 2016, and revels in taking to the difficult track at the foot of the San Jacinto Mountains.
“I first played in this event I think when I was 15 years old, as an amateur and my dad was here with me. I just really love it,” said Hull, whose lone LPGA Tour victory came at the 2016 CME Group Tour Championship. “I just like it because it's quite a tight golf course and the rough can be thick and the greens are firm. I feel like that suits my game because I hit the ball quite high and I'm able to stop it where others find it quite hard.”
Hull missed the 2020 ANA Inspiration after being diagnosed with COVID-19 during the standard pre-tournament testing process. She had hoped that 2021 would go off without a hitch, but she sprained her ankle while out for a run last week in Carlsbad before her final round of the Kia Classic. Thankfully for Hull, it was more a case of injured pride and she sits in a tie for fourth heading into the weekend as she searches for her first major title.
“Beware the injured golfer they say. Yeah, I literally went for a 5K run, fell over a pothole and banged my chin. I was more embarrassed at the time. It didn't really hurt. Carried on with my 5k, played 18 holes at the Kia, and wasn't until after, until I sat down for an hour and I stood up and couldn't walk on it,” said Hull of her mishap. “I rang my friend Jason who used to work for me as a physio. He told me to ice it and I listened to him and it worked a lot, then the guys here have been strapping it up for me. Feels loads better.”
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