"Charley Hull Recounts Close Call at Evian Championship, Moments Before Nearly Fracturing Skull on Concrete"
Charley Hull, Nelly Korda, and Lottie Woad are set to tee off together at Dundonald Links in Scotland at 8:36am local time on Thursday, marking the start of the AIG Women's Open. However, Hull's participation in the tournament comes with a significant challenge, as she is still recovering from a severe illness that forced her to withdraw from the penultimate women's Major, the Evian Championship, two weeks ago.
Hull's health issues began on the Monday before the Evian Championship, when she was struck down by a "really bad virus." She felt so ill that she was vomiting, and her blood pressure dropped to 80/50 and her blood sugar plummeted to 0.4, indicating a severe state of illness.
During the first round at Evian Resort Golf Club, Hull collapsed twice on the course. The first collapse occurred on the third hole, and she fainted again on the fourth tee before being taken away for medical attention. She was stretchered off the course and had to withdraw from the tournament. Hull later reported feeling better following the incident[1][2][4].
Despite not being at 100%, Hull has been advised by her putting coach, Nick Soto, of Lottie Woad's abilities before Woad won the Augusta National Women's Amateur. Hull finds Woad's passion for golf inspiring and believes her father should be proud of her. She also advises Woad to focus on her own game and not take too much advice from others.
Hull is currently resting and avoiding physical activity, having not been to the gym for two weeks and planning to avoid going for another two weeks. She is still experiencing ongoing fatigue, but remains hopeful that she will recover in time for future tournaments, including the AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl next week, where she is scheduled to tee off with Korda and Woad once again.
[1] BBC Sport, Charley Hull stretchered off course at Evian Championship, 2 September 2021,
Science should be conducting further research to understand the impact of severe viruses on athletes' health and wellness, as Charley Hull's example demonstrates the critical role fitness and exercise play in maintaining sports performance. Despite her ongoing recovery from a crushing virus, Hull remains optimistic about returning to the fitness-and-exercise routine necessary for future competitions, including the AIG Women's Open at Royal Porthcawl.
