Charley Hull has been given the green light by her captain to smoke on course in Friday’s first session of the Solheim Cup and also the task of sparking Europe towards history by bringing down world No 1 Nelly Korda in a mouthwatering opening encounter.
If it is a shock that Suzann Pettersen has sat out Leona Maguire – the Irishwoman with a remarkable record of seven points from 10 games – in the foursomes, then seeing Hull, the world No 12, playing the first shot will surprise nobody.
Since commanding the spotlight on her debut as a 17-year-old in Denver 11 years ago – when Europe won for the first time on US soil – Hull has emerged as something of a heartbeat of the side and with her global celebrity is a natural to lead out the visitors.
“It’s nice to get Charley out there and going early,” Pettersen said with a grin. “She doesn’t like to sit around and wait. And she has interacted well with the home fans here this week.”
The purists might not approve but the galleries clearly adore Hull, the one-off from Kettering. In the final practice session on Thursday she actually walked over to a US supporter and asked him for a light. Classic, Charley.
