Charley Hull admitted she felt like a historic ’59 round’ was a possibility as she raced into the early lead at the LPGA Tour’s Ford Championship in Arizona.
Hull – who has posted top-20 finishes in every worldwide start since August – registered nine birdies in a stunning bogey-free 63 at Whirlwind Golf Club, setting the clubhouse target ahead of Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen.
Beginning on the back nine as part of the morning wave, Hull took advantage of the par-five 12th and added three birdies in a four-hole stretch from the 14th to race to the turn in 32.
She added three consecutive birdies from the first and two more at the fifth and seventh to jump into the solo lead.
“I feel like I left actually a good four shots out there,” Hull said. “Like the last, I lipped on the left edge. The hole before I left it like an inch short.
Hull is chasing a third LPGA Tour victory
“Went in the jaws on a few holes before and it just stayed out. Then I missed a birdie putt on the front nine and that was like from like six feet. So I’m looking back thinking ‘oh, I could have done more’.
“When I was coming down, I think it was the fourth hole, I was like, ‘oh, I could try and shoot 59’. Then I missed the putt on that hole!
“I was just trying to go as low as I could. To be fair, like my boyfriend said to me ‘what will make me happy is seeing you on the top of the leaderboard’ and just smash it. That’s what I had in my head and I just wanted to do that.”
Hull’s opening round is the lowest of her LPGA Tour career, with the Englishwoman finding all 18 greens in regulation after making a slight equipment alteration ahead of the tournament.
Hull was playing alongside Lydia Ko and Ruoning Yin on Thursday
“I kind of tweaked my driver at the beginning of the week,” Hull added. “I had Adrian from TaylorMade here and we was working on that, the new driver, and I really, really, really hit it well today.
“I felt like that [driver] put me in a lot of good positions. I putted pretty well. I chipped pretty well. I hit it pretty well with my iron shots. I don’t think I missed a green and didn’t really miss any fairways. I was hitting it good and just felt confident. Just felt good out there.”
A low-scoring morning saw Brooke Henderson card an opening-round 65 and two-time major champion Lilia Vu start with a six-under 66, while AIG Women’s Open winner Lydia Ko posted a four-under 68 and Ireland’s Leona Maguire is seven back after her two-under 70.
“I see Charley was really ripping it up out there, so I’ll try to go out and catch her tomorrow,” Henderson said.
World No 1 and defending champion Nelly Korda was among the afternoon starters.
Watch the Ford Championship throughout the week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues Friday from 10pm on Sky Sports+ and 11pm on Sky Sports Golf.
