Boyfriend's vacation bet boosts Charley Hull into share of early lead at The Annika

BELLEAIR, Fla. – Roughly 10 minutes before Charley Hull teed off in her opening round at Pelican Golf Club, her boyfriend made a bet. For every five birdies made, they’d have an extra day tacked onto their upcoming European holiday.

“I was trying to make 10 birdies,” said Hull of her opening 6-under 64 at The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. “Hopefully I’ll have more over the weekend, and I’ll have a two-week holiday at the end of the year.”

Side bets help the Englishwoman focus.

While playing several weeks ago on the LET in Saudi Arabia, her boyfriend called before the final round and said he reckoned she’d be 3 under after three holes. Hull took on the challenge. She didn’t get to 3 under quite that fast but still closed with a 6-under 66 to claim her first title in two years.

“I feel like I’ve been playing very, very well all year,” said Hull, who holds a share of first with Jiwon Jeon. “Sometimes you just forget how to win. So that’s kind of reminded me how to win.”

World No. 1 Nelly Korda headlines a group of players in a share of third at 4 under.

Brittany Lincicome looks on from the first green during the first round of 2024 The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. (Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)

Brittany Lincicome, who is competing in her final event on tour as a full-time player, opened with a 70 thanks to a back-nine 32.

“If you would’ve seen that front nine you would’ve thought, oh, my God, she’s going to shoot 85 today,” said Lincicome who made four bogeys in her first eight holes.

“You know, finally got a birdie on the front which helped, and then a bogey the next hole of course. Then just trying to calm down the nerves. Like I don’t know what happened after having kids or taking time off and coming back, but my brain just doesn’t quite – my body and my skills feel like they’re there and then my brain gets in the way.”

The 28-year-old Hull has enjoyed a strong stretch of play since she slipped in the shower and injured her right shoulder in July. In her last four starts on the LPGA, she hasn’t finished outside the top 20. Not to mention the 6-and-4 drumming of Nelly Korda in Sunday singles at the Solheim Cup.

After a T-19 at the Kroger Queen City in September, Hull headed back to England to recharge before taking a share of 12th at the Maybank Championship in Malaysia and a victory on the LET.

Charley Hull of England smokes on the ninth hole during the second round of the 2024 Maybank Championship at Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club. (Suhaimi Abdullah/Getty Images)

Hull had a physio stretch her out during Thursday’s play, and she pointed to bad hips.

“I’ve been kind of lazy on the physio the last two weeks,” she explained. “Haven’t really had any physio and it’s just gone out.

“Yesterday I wasn’t feeling very well in the pro-am, had stomach pains and cramps and stuff. I think it just tightened my whole body up. I’m going to have a bit of physio and some needles put in me after the round.”

When a reporter noted that the issues must not have impacted her performance given the strong results, she confirmed that she could feel it.

“But at the end of the day,” she said, “I think pain is a weakness of the mind, so you just got to hit through it.”