New Lady Golfer columnist Charley Hull
Big congratulations to Michelle Wie on her victory at the US Women’s Open at Pinehurst.
It looked like an incredible venue to win your first Major and she seems to be getting better and better with every tournament this year.
I played with Michelle and the eventual winner Jessica Korda in the last round of the Mobile Bay Classic in May and you could see then how well she was playing. She hits the ball such a long way (longer than me but she is six years older!) and she is such a lovely person.
Some people have got the wrong impression of her and think she is big-headed but she is anything but and is very down to earth. We chatted a bit that day and it was such a laugh to be playing in the last round of an LPGA tournament, where we were all making lots of birdies, and all of us were under 24.
It was almost as incredible to see my Curtis Cup team-mate from Nairn, Stephanie Meadow, finish third on her professional debut. I don’t know Steph as well as some of the other girls as she moved to the States a few years ago but to have a home-based player, who is only 22, up there alongside Michelle, Stacy Lewis and Lexi Thompson is very cool.
The course in North Carolina looked amazing and I’d love to play there one day.
I am really looking forward to the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Royal Birkdale as I loved being in contention at the Kraft earlier this year. To be up there in a Major is such a thrill and, if I can threaten again, hopefully I will have learnt from what happened in April. The main lessons were to be patient but also fire at a few more pins instead of playing for par on the last day. My game is normally very attacking so I will try and stick to that wherever possible.
I try to play one shot at a time which hopefully then leads to a good round and a good tournament Winning on the LET in Morocco gave me such a lot of confidence and helped me feel like I belong in the big tournaments so it would be great to build on that in the big ones this year.
I don’t really set myself goals. I try to play one shot at a time which hopefully then leads to a good round and a good tournament.
However I would love to top the LET Money List, which I’m leading at the minute, and I would love to get my card for the LPGA Tour. I have got three more invites on their tour and, as a non-member, I will need to finish inside the top 40 to get a full card and avoid going to Q School.
The plan has always been to go to the States and I must admit I love it over there. The courses and crowds are incredible, everything is so easy and the cars are massive!
I have played over there quite a bit and the last two years I have spent some time with Tony Jacklin in Florida. I met him at the British Par 3 and stayed with him the last couple of years and played his Concession course which is fantastic.
He has always helped me a lot with loads of advice and it was great to pick his brains before the Solheim Cup last last year.
Other highlights this month were going to Wimbledon and watching Rafa Nadal who would be in my top three sports people from any sport.
And getting the actor Ben Mansfield, from Primeval, to follow me on Twitter. I thought he was good looking so I Tweeted him and he followed me back!
Less good was watching England in the World Cup. Hopefully in four years’ time it might all be a bit different.
