England’s Charley Hull fired a 6-under-par 66 during the opening round of the Maybank Championship on the West Course at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club.

Her solid start was highlighted by seven birdies and just a single bogey. With the opening-round performance, Hull sits in a tie for fourth place alongside France’s Perrine Delacour. Throughout her round, she displayed sharp accuracy, hitting 12 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation.

"Well, I had like four weeks off, so it was kind of the only event that I could really like -- wanted to play in," Hull said after her round. "I kind of like -- I was nearly taking the whole six weeks off, but I felt like I just wanted to play some golf."

Despite a stretch away from regular tournament play, Hull noted that her downtime was filled with obligations, explaining that she juggled numerous sponsor commitments during her time at home.

“I feel like it's in a really good spot heading into the end of the season. I feel like it's been quite a busy year,” said Hull. “Even when I was at home for four weeks, I had a lot of sponsor commitments to do so didn't really feel at all like I was having four weeks off.”

The three-time LPGA Tour winner has put together a consistent campaign this season, making the cut in 11 of 15 starts with four top-10 finishes. Three of those top-10 results came at major championships, featuring a tie for sixth at the AIG Women’s Open, a tie for second at the U.S. Women’s Open presented by Ally, and a tie for 10th at The Chevron Championship.

Enjoying the early conditions in Malaysia, Hull mentioned that the morning tee times have allowed her to unwind during the humid afternoons. "I kind of like the early tee times here because the afternoons I can just completely relax. It's quite nice."

As the tournament progresses, Hull believes her game is sitting in a strong position as the season winds down.

Hull will tee off No. 1 at 9:16 a.m. local time for Friday's second round alongside Delacour and Julia Lopez Ramirez.

Charley Hull Opens With 66 in Malaysia to Sit Four Back at Maybank Championship

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