There are few things more exciting in golf than a marauding Charley Hull. Not only did we witness precisely that at Royal Porthcawl, but Hull sent an errant shot whizzing past the head of Minjee Lee for added theatrical effect.
Hull had been battling to make the Women’s Open cut for much of Friday afternoon. She started her third round 11 shots adrift of Miyu Yamashita. Within nine holes, Hull was five under par and on the charge. Further birdies at the 12th and 13th meant the Englishwoman was only four behind Yamashita. Hull did bogey the 14th, meaning a 66, but Yamashita’s failure to build on her 36-hole position suddenly makes this a highly intriguing scene. Yamashita had just one player within six strokes of her at halfway. A messy 74 means Yamashita leads by a single shot. Her short putting touch totally deserted her over Saturday’s closing stretch. Hull is only three behind Yamashita.
On the penultimate hole, Yamashita outrageously saved par from 40ft. This was a rare highlight. Thoughts of a procession have quickly vanished. Back to back nines of 37 saw to that. The prospect of wind and rain on day four means this could turn into an epic scrap.
Hull was in wonderfully bullish mood. “I just enjoy chasing,” she said. “It’s quite fun. I like it. It’s more fun that way. I like hunting someone down.”
Will Hull go for it on Sunday? What a silly question. “100%,” she added. “I haven’t got anything to lose, have I?”
It would, in one sense, be ridiculous if Hull ends her wait for a major on the Welsh coast. She has never been a huge fan of links golf and entered this Women’s Open nursing a back problem. Hull had also admitted she lost four kilograms because of an illness which saw her removed from the course at the Evian Championship on a medical cart. “Kind of like playing golf with your mates,” said Hull of her mindset for the final round. “You just want to make birdies on every hole. That’s how it feels tomorrow.” Unsurprisingly, she now feels as strong as ever.
At Porthcawl, Hull came close to injuring another member of the field. A rare loose shot, at the 4th, went flying past Lee after a single bounce as she addressed her ball on the 17th tee. The ball rebounded from signage at the back of the tee, meaning Hull was spared a shot from deep rough. “I like Minjee, I wouldn’t want to take her out,” said Hull with a smile.
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Lee was unperturbed by the incident. “It was nothing major,” said the Australian. “I was glad the ball bounced. I’m pretty focused. I just reset and then just go hit the ball.”
This is not just the Yamashita and Hull show. Yamashita’s Saturday wobbling brought a host of players back into the tournament. Kim A-lim is the closest player to Yamashita’s nine under. Andrea Lee is a shot further back at minus seven. Megan Khang, Rio Takeda and Minami Katsu are alongside Hull at six under. Georgia Hall will fancy her chances from four under. Hall is a shot ahead of Lottie Woad. Twenty three players are within seven of what is now very much an under pressure leader.
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