Charley Hull Takes Flight in Arizona: Leads LPGA's Ford Championship with a Stunning 63

CHANDLER, Ariz. (AP) — Charley Hull finished her extended and busy day with nothing but dry socks, thanks to a flawless bogey-free round scoring 9-under-par 63 which put her ahead by one stroke over Nanna Koertz Madsen during the first round on Thursday at the Ford Championship.

After missing out on the Asia swing, Nelly Korda made a strong comeback by posting four birdies on the latter half of the course and carding an opening round score of 67 in her attempt to close the gap on Hull, who continues to be as captivating as always.

The key to Hull’s performance during the round at Whirlwind Golf Club was her driver, which surprised her as she didn’t know what to anticipate. Early in the week, she made adjustments to the club with assistance from a TaylorMade representative who helped fine-tune it for her needs.

And I truly, truly, truly played exceptionally well today," Hull stated. "It made me feel like I was in advantageous spots frequently. My putting was quite solid, as were my chips. Overall, my approach with irons was also very good.

Hull found himself focusing more on the four near-miss birdie putts than the nine he actually sank, particularly a run where she secured five birdies over six holes around the midpoint.

Madsen Koertz notched nine birdies as well, with only one bogey at the par-5 fifth hole. Among these achievements was an unexpected birdie on the 10th when she took a bunker shot which seemed destined to travel eight feet past the cup but instead struck the pin and rolled in, much to her astonishment.

On a day characterized by low scores, Brooke Henderson from Canada and Sei Young Kim were part of an eight-player group who finished with a score of 65. A crucial strategy for them was keeping their balls in the fairways to manage the fast-playing greens effectively.

Hull experienced an eventful day. She started by calling her relatives in England at 2 a.m., followed by heading to the gym at 4 a.m., where she ran seven kilometers (4.4 miles) on the treadmill.

These days, she's really into fitness. Her main objective for 2025 isn’t related to golf; instead, it’s aiming to complete a 5K race in less than 20 minutes. So dedicated was she this past week that Hull saw blood seeping from her toe through her sock due to her intense efforts.

She likewise wagered $10,000 with her colleague Ryan Evans that she would stop smoking.

Everything appears to be progressing smoothly, particularly on the golf course. She seldom found herself out of place and had opportunities for birdies or better on each hole. Moreover, she believes it might have even been more successful.

I think I missed about four decent shot opportunities," he stated. "For instance, my last attempt grazed the lip on the left side of the cup. In the previous hole, I came up shy by roughly an inch. Earlier rounds had seen me hit the rim but miss staying within the grasp of the hole; then again, I botched a birdie chance from around six feet during the first half of play. Reflecting on this now makes me realize how close I might have been to achieving better.

Once during her back nine, she began contemplating shooting a 59. However, she ended up missing the crucial putt.

I simply aimed to achieve the lowest score possible," she stated. "To be honest, my boyfriend told me, 'The thing that would make me truly happy is watching you at the top of the leaderboard and absolutely acing it.' Those were the thoughts guiding me.

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