Charley Hull created plenty of headlines at June’s US Women’s Open when she was pictured and filmed signing a fan’s autograph while smoking a cigarette.
By her own admission, “it lit up,” as her habit went viral across social media, while she has also been spotted smoking in subsequent tournaments after taking it up in an attempt to stop vaping.
Following the Major at Lancaster Country Club, Hull vowed to quit “soon,” saying: “I thought if I smoke, I'm going to go outside and smoke a cigarette. When it's a slow round on the golf course I smoke quite a few more than I should. But listen, I will stop soon. It's just when."
For the Olympics at least, where she will play for Team GB at Le Golf National this week, the decision has already been taken for her.
Hull spoke to the media alongside fellow Team GB player Georgia Hall before this week’s tournament, where she admitted she won’t be found smoking as it’s prohibited. She said: “Yeah, I do smoke on the course. It's a habit but I won't do this week. Yeah, just something I do. I don't think you're allowed.”
At the US Women’s Open, Hull remarked that she first took up vaping, then smoking, when she was “a bit stressed” last year, so will the ban affect her in the high-stakes environment of the Olympics? Hull thinks it could. She added: “Yeah, I think it will. Because it relaxes me a little bit. But it is what it is.”
Even without smoking to take the edge off in Paris this week, Hull is determined to make the most of her second Olympics appearance, particularly after her initial experience, at the 2020 Games in Tokyo, had restrictions due to Covid-19.
She said: “It's really good. Roughly with Covid last time around, it was a bit tricky. But yeah, I'm super excited to do it. Went out and saw the golf course and it was in lovely condition and excited to get out there tomorrow.”
Smoking’s not the only thing Hull has put to one side – involuntarily or otherwise – recently. She also revealed she has curtailed her social media activity of late: “I don't actually go on Instagram,” she said. “I haven't gone on Instagram in about four or five months. I don't go on social media or anything. I just let my agent do it. I just concentrate on my golf and just hang out with Georgia off the golf course.”
Hull gets her challenge underway in a group with Australia’s Hannah Green and the US’s Rose Zhang with a tee time of 3.44am EDT (8.44am BST) in Wednesday’s opening round.
