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As a bitterly cold Thursday evening in St Andrews set in, Charley Hull warmed the hearts of an expectant crowd huddled around the 18th hole of the Old Course to snatch the first-round lead at the AIG Women’s Open.
The Englishwoman thrived in a star-studded group, draining a birdie at the last to fire a stunning five-under-par round of 67 to lead American superstars and major champions Nelly Korda (-4) and Lilia Vu (-3).
The 28-year-old, who leads Korda and China’s Ruoning Yin by one stroke, believes her time is now. That elusive major, after finishing runner-up twice last year, may arrive at the home of golf on Sunday if she can maintain this blistering pace after a near-flawless round of golf, packed with six birdies and just one blemish, a bogey at the 11th hole.
While the trio displayed immense skill and pinpoint accuracy, their patience was also tested by a ponderous pace, resulting in a round that exceeded six hours following the punishing conditions from earlier in the day.
Hull’s dazzling array of shots have been seen on golf’s biggest stages, yet her appetite for a battle in the most arduous conditions could lay the platform for her crowning moment as a professional.
“I’d say the last three holes were a bit easier,” Hull revealed. “[The wind] dropped. But making the turn it was really, really strong. It was very strong, especially when we had a hold-up on 11. It got really cold there, as well. Yeah, it did drop just the last three holes.
“I love playing with them two girls. Nelly is an unbelievable ball-striker, Lilia is a great putter. You just kind of know, even when they’re making some bogeys, you think the whole field is finding this tricky, so you kind of just keep in the moment. They’re two quick players, as well, so I enjoy that. But no, it’s all fun.
“I’m happy with that score, and I’m just looking forward to going out tomorrow and being patient again. I’ve always been patient out there, and I hit some great, great shots.”
Hull’s compatriot Georgia Hall had earlier emerged bruised from the more vicious side of the draw, hours after glancing out of her hotel window at 5am. Then, a smile spread across her face after witnessing the chaos ahead and the opportunity to leave a host of rivals unwilling to embrace the elements behind. The howling winds swirling around St Andrews produced a torturous morning – a harrowing experience for some of the best women golfers in the world.
Yet despite 36mph gusts, and oscillating balls on tee boxes and greens, Hall relished the challenge and, eventually, defeated the Old Course, hosting its first Women’s Open since 2013. She shot a one-under-par first round thanks to a thrilling finale, which allows her to dream of what’s possible on Sunday, even if Hull has set an intimidating pace.
Her patience up to that point had been tested to the limit: Hall could be seen backing off putts, including a menacing par save on the fourth moments after watching the favourite Ayaka Furue three-putt.
But as the day one finish line approached, Hall opted for a daring strategy, delivering one crushing blow from 327 yards with the driver on the ninth, her 18th of the day. The ball trickled onto the green and her delicate putt clinched a memorable eagle to leap into the red on one under, clinching the perfect start for the 2018 champion.
“I looked out my hotel room and I can see the range, the flags on the range and that's a good indicator for me,” Hall recalled with a record $9.5m (£7.3m) prize money on the line this week, including $1.425m to the winner. “They were blowing a gale, and I was like, that’s great. Hope it stays like that.
“I hardly get to play like this. I play in America a lot, and to me it’s more of a wooden form of golf. This is natural, raw golf.”
Yet many of Hall’s fellow players were left scowling at the exposed Old Course. The R&A had agonised over the course set-up this week, resisting the temptation to implement even more fiendishly difficult greens, to prevent the risk of balls failing to stop and play being suspended.
“The putting’s difficult,” Catriona Matthew explained after shooting 77. “You start aiming left hoping the wind is going to take it and sometimes it does and sometimes it doesn’t.”
A Gemma Dryburgh, having settled for a seven-over round of 79, said: “I’m OK. Just a bit blown away. It was hard. My ball was blowing off the tee. It was blowing on the fairway. It was tough.”
There was an early warning sign from Furue, bidding for a second major of the year after triumphing at the Evian Championship, with a crushing treble bogey on 12, her third hole of the day, which saw her slip back to +4.
The diminutive Japanese star battled and could be seen huddling alongside her caddy with a large black jacket draped over her shoulders between shots. Three birdies limited the damage before walking off the course with a three-over round of 75.
But as the early starters floundered, including Lexi Thompson (+4), Miyu Yamashita (+4), Haeran Ryu (+6), China’s Yin fizzed and raced into a dominant lead. Having reached an intimidating target at -6, Yin stumbled slightly coming home, holding on for a four-under round of 68 to defy the conditions, as abandoned caps danced across the fairways.
“It’s definitely some of the toughest conditions I've ever played in for sure,” Hall concluded. “Just thankful it wasn’t raining because I would say it’s... I mean, you couldn’t even read the greens because you had to think about where the wind was actually going.
“Probably up there with the windiest I’ve ever played in. Yeah, it was a struggle for sure, like mentally very, it was such a battle.
“But I love those conditions, whether I play bad or not, I much prefer, like this is a true Women’s Open like this, and I believe that’s how it should be every day; and that’s part of the battle with the weather, and I just tried to make the most out of that out there.”
AIG Women’s Open first-round leaderboard
1. Charley Hull -5
T2. Ruoning Yin, Nelly Korda -4
T4. Jenny Shin, Andrea Lee, Mi Hyang Lee, Patty Tavatanakit, Lilia Vu, Mao Saigo -3
10. Hyo Joo Kim -2
T11. Linnea Strom, Georgia Hall, Lydia Ko, Haruka Kawasaki, Jiyai Shin -1
