“I would have probably still left school at 16” – When a young Charley Hull revealed her ‘spy’ dream

Charley Hull once opened up about her alternative career. The English golfer was the LET Rookie of the Year in 2013 when she started her professional career. She was just 17 at that time.

In one of her interviews with The Guardian, in 2013, Hull spoke about her dream of becoming a spy. The English golfer spoke about the career she might have pursued if she hadn’t become a golfer, saying she would have “probably gone down the beautician road.”

However, Hull further revealed that even then, she would have “preferred becoming a spy.” Speaking of her alternative career, Hull said:

“I really wanted to be a spy. I would have probably still left school at 16. My friends are beauticians and hairdressers and stuff like that. My friends who are boys are mostly builders. So I’d have probably gone down the beautician road … even if I would’ve preferred becoming a spy.”

Although Hull had different plans, she emerged as one of the most successful women golfers in the world. She started her professional career on a high note with five consecutive runner-up finishes in the Ladies European Tour, ultimately earning the LET Rookie of the Year title.

Charley Hull was the runner-up at the Lalla Meryem Cup, Deloitte Ladies Open, South African Women’s Open, Turkish Airlines Ladies Open, and UniCredit Ladies German Open in 2013.

A look into Charley Hull’s professional career
Although Charley Hull did not win a tournament in her debut year, she recorded five back-to-back runner-up finishes, kick-starting her incredible golf journey as a professional.

However, the next year in 2014, she won her maiden LET tournament. She defeated Gwladys Nocera in a playoff to win the Lalla Meryem Cup after shooting rounds of 68, 71, 68, and 62. She had an impressive run on the LET as well as on the LPGA Tour.

While Hull enjoyed success during the initial days of her career, she later struggled with her game. After her first win in 2014, she secured her second professional tournament victory two years later on the LPGA Tour in 2016 at the CME Group Tour Championship, where she defeated Soyeon Ryu by two shots.

Hull went on to win the 2019 Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open on the LET and another official golf tournament at the Rose Ladies Series in 2020. In 2021, Hull competed at the Aramco Team Series – New York, a LET event, and registered a one-shot win over Nelly Korda. The following year, she won the 2022 Volunteers of America Classic on the LPGA Tour.

However, Hull was winless for two years before winning her fourth LET event at the 2024 Aramco Team Series – Riyadh last month. She shot rounds of 65, 67, and 66 to register a three-shot win over Nicole Broch Estrup.

The 28-year-old golfer so far has won seven professional events, including two on the LPGA Tour and four on the LET, along with one other official event.