A Strong Hull

“Rickie Fowler said golf is the loneliest game. It’s just you, your caddie and your round,” a golf fan said. The man was one of about 70 people in a crowd following Charley Hull’s group on the opening day of the LPGA’s Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass. 

It seemed like a strange time for such an observation; Hull had made three consecutive birdies to get to 7-under through 12 holes. She looked unstoppable. Hull moved to her own rhythm, building an aura of confidence and focus – a force field that surrounded her and that she controlled. She was alone in a higher state of consciousness, but she was not lonely. 

Like a young Fowler, Hull brings out a more diverse crowd than most fellow competitors. There were kids, experienced tournament-goers, casual fans, and at least one potential admirer watching. If she noticed the perspring man in the Linkin Park shirt and sweatpants, wearing a gold chain and calling to her, Hull didn’t let on. 

The third-ranked player in the world, Lydia Ko, was playing alongside Hull. Ko had yet to hit her stride when Hull was charging, but looked relaxed on a perfect day in the desert. The third member of the group, Ruoning “Ronnie” Yin, is the fourth-ranked player in the world. Her routine had slowed early in the back nine – usually a sign of uncertainty – but Yin ran off four birdies in five holes. The momentum of the group gave Ko a late boost and her putts also began to fall.

Facing a decision from the fairway on the long par-5 7th hole, Ko chose to play her second shot aggressively, pulling her driver. The crowd murmured as she made practice swings. “Risky move,” a voice said quietly. Hull was a few yards ahead of Ko with a better angle, holding a fairway wood. Ko hit a low pull that she wasn’t happy with, but the ball found a greenside bunker. She’d splash it out close to the hole and convert the birdie. 

Yin flared her second shot on the 7th. “Fore!” She yelled as the ball faded towards a desert riddled with bushes. She walked up and found her ball in a fairway bunker, some 70 yards from the green. The ball had taken an unimaginably lucky bounce off a volunteer’s Velcro sandals and found the sand. The man’s toes were sore, but he was the most helpful volunteer of the day. Yin hit her shot, pulled out a ball and signed it for the volunteer. She went on to make par.

“Do you regret your choice of footwear?” I asked the volunteer.

“Are you kidding? These things saved my butt!” He replied. Actually, they saved Yin’s. 

Hull stayed in her confidence bubble as she marched towards a course record, snacking on chocolate between shots. No cigarettes. The birdie buzz was working.

Hull had an uphill 30-footer after a pushed short iron on her 17th hole. I was standing on the opposite side of the hole and the grass between Hull and the hole was shiny, meaning from her angle, the grain was into her. The putt was slow, and she nearly hit it hard enough. Par. 

At her last, Hull smashed a driver down the fairway and played a solid approach to 20 feet. The putt looked good until the last foot, where it lost speed, caught the low edge and missed. She tapped in for a 9-under 63 and the first round lead. The group’s aggregate score was 18-under; worth the price of admission.

There were 17 people following the afternoon group of Kate Smith-Stroh, Lauren Morris and Yuna Nishimura. I counted every one of them. Smith-Stroh is a tall, long-hitting rookie who designed the Drive Fore the Future logo (Ryan French’s foundation). More on this another day. It seemed unlikely that there would be three members of the media following this group, but Japanese golf fans must have high-hopes for Nishimura.

A high school Senior was in the gallery with her parents. They were in Phoenix on vacation from Minnesota, and when the high school Senior was a young girl, her older brother played with Smith-Stroh in a local Minnesota event. The girl’s brother told her that Smith-Stroh would be a professional golfer one day, and she asked Smith-Stroh to sign her hat. The Senior still has the hat and on Thursday, she got to see Smith-Stroh play as a rookie on the LPGA Tour.   

Smith-Stroh enjoyed some long walks down the fairways to her neon yellow ball. After a breathless morning, the wind began to blow and the greens firmed up. Smith-Stroh couldn’t hold the second green, ending up in the tight lie in the dormant rough for her third on the par-5. She judged the chip perfectly, landing her ball into the fringe and watching it trickle next to the hole. Easy birdie. 

The third hole at Whirlwind’s Cattail course is a 160 yard par-3 with water hugging the left side of the green. The wind picked up as Smith-Stroh stood over the ball and perhaps trying to hit a more controlled flight, she pulled the shot. The wind carried the ball into the water. Smith-Stroh took a drop and hit another deft chip to four feet, saving bogey. 

Pars didn’t come easily for the remainder of the front nine, but she made them, with a Minnesota Senior cheering on. Smith-Stroh found more control from the fairway on the back nine and added three birdies to her card. 

After Smith-Stroh shot a 2-under 70, I imagine she heard how she once inspired a young girl from Minnesota to pursue golf. 

Never underestimate the power of being nice to a junior golfer. The golf gods like that. 

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