Charley Hull conjured up a great comeback as she recovered from a quintuple-bogey ten on the front nine to go on to take a share of the individual lead after a rain-drenched round one at Centurion Club in Hertfordshire.
The English star, who finished tied-second in the US Women’s Open last week, looked to have wrecked her chances of success at the Aramco Team Series – London when she recorded a quintuple bogey at the sixth hole.
She lost two balls on the par-5 but came back in stunning style, making six birdies in her closing seven holes before signing for a five-under-par 68 that left her at the top the leaderboard alongside Nelly Korda at the Ladies European Tour sanctioned event.
Hull’s birdie blitz was part of a brilliant scoring spree from her quartet that comprised of Isabella Deilert, Hayley Davis and former England striker Teddy Sheringham. At the conclusion of round one they had opened a two-stroke lead in the team event from the quartet captained by Virginia Elena Carter after finishing on 18-under-par.
Hull, 27, said: “I was just out there having fun. I did play pretty well and I felt confident even after I made the 10. One bad hole, even though it’s a 10, I know it does affect a lot of people, but I managed to bounce back.”
World number two Korda also dealt well with the heavy rain that fell for much of the day. Her only bogey came at the 12th but she responded with four birdies in the next five holes to join Hull at the top in the individuals’ competition.
Korda said: “Overall I played really well. I made one boo-boo and that was for my bogey – I hit my tee-shot a little right. But other than that I played pretty solid. The conditions got worse and worse as the day went on. I told my caddie not to put the umbrella away because for a bit it was going in and out, but then towards the end the winds started to become much heavier.”
Hull and Korda hold an overnight one-shot advantage from Germany’s Leonie Harm and South Africa’s Casandra Alexander. A further shot back on three-under-par sit Anne Van Dam, Noora Komulainen, and Ana Pelaez Trevino.
The Aramco Team Series sees teams of three professionals and one amateur competing over 36 holes – the Friday and Saturday of the tournament – with $500,000 prize money on offer. Sunday’s final day of play will see only the lowest scoring 60 players and ties from the opening two rounds return to the course to battle it out for a share of another $500,000, this time in individual earnings.
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