Charley Hull walked off the 18th green at Royal Lytham & St Annes, signed a few autographs, and left. No media. No post-round interview. It was the final act of a week that had barely gone a day without controversy.

Hull entered the AIG Women's Open as one of the pre-tournament favourites, per GolfMagic. She finished in a share of sixth alongside compatriot Lottie Woad after carding a 1-over 72 in the final round on Sunday, August 2. Two double-bogeys on the front nine effectively ended her title challenge. She had started the day five shots off the lead.

Hull addressed the week's most talked-about moment before a ball was struck. She revealed she had pranked her caddie, Adam Woodward, with a fake scratchcard from a Blackpool joke shop, filming his reaction and posting it on social media. Woodward believed he had won £100,000.

Six-time major winner Dame Laura Davies called the stunt "extremely cruel," per GolfMagic. Hull was unmoved. "People that have complaints about it, I would say loosen up," she told reporters. "I think people need to lighten up if they're taking that too seriously because it was pretty funny."

She also defended Woodward's reaction. "He thought it was funny after. He is not uptight. It's a joke. If people don't like it. They can lump it, do you know what I mean? I felt bad for Adam, but at the end of the day I have just got to have a good week. At the end of the week I'll buy him 100 scratchcards."

Hull had said she would "100 per cent" do it again. The decision not to speak to the media afterward rounded off a week that never found a quiet moment.

What Laura Davies and the scoreboard said about Charley Hull and her week

The winning score at Royal Lytham was 5 under par, with Japan's Shiho Kuwaki claiming the title after a playoff. Hull finished 11 shots back.

Davies offered a candid assessment.

"Charley made a few too many mistakes. And that's just the way she plays golf; she goes full out attack," Davies told Sky Sports, per GolfMagic.

"She was pretty disciplined this week, but I think she'll think, 'I was only four back and I should have been in there right at the death.'"

Davies also noted that both Hull and Woad would view the result as a missed opportunity, given how accessible the winning score was.

What do you think? Can Charley Hull finally break through and win a major? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Suyashdeep Sason