A dramatic one stroke win at the Kroger Queen City Championship for England’s Charley Hull captures the 29-year-old’s third win on the LPGA Tour and continues an odd streak of there being no multiple winners this season.
After finishing her last two events in T2, Hull was eager not to make it an unfortunate hattrick as the now three-time winner battled her way to a four-under final round, taking her to 20-under to seal the victory.
Hull began the final round one stroke ahead of the pack, closely followed by world no.1 Jeeno Thitikul as the pair teed off together in the final group.
Level par after five-holes, Hull found form closing out the back nine as she made a trio of birdies on the sixth, seventh and eighth to take her to 19-under with nine holes to play, two shots better than Thitikul.
Thitikul made back-to-back birdies on the 10h and 11th but Hull answered back with a birdie of her own on the 11th, as the gap between the two closed with seven holes to play.
A bogey on 13 for Hull saw the two neck in neck, before 22-year-old Thitikul took the lead on 14 with a birdie.
Nerves were high and tension was tight as it set up for a thrilling end to the week. A long birdie putt on the par-3 16th for Hull brought it back to a level game with two to play.
No doubt feeling the pressure and reminded by the disappointment of recent T2 finishes, Hull made bogey on the 17th to hand the lead back to Thitikul heading into the final hole.
The scorable par-5 18th awaited as Hull teed off thinking she would need an eagle to force a playoff, but that was not the case.
On the green in two, one would think that Thitikul had all but sealed the deal but a disastrous four putt gifted Hull a chance of victory and she grabbed it with both hands, draining her birdie putt to see a two-shot swing on the last.
“I just thought I had to make the eagle to be fair. I wasn’t really watching her putt for birdie because I thought she was going to hole it,” Hull said. “I guess it’s not over until the fat lady sings, but I was shaking over that last putt because I just didn’t expect it. But feels pretty good.”
Hull secured her first title on the LPGA Tour since taking victory at the Volunteers of America Classic back in October 2022.
With the win, Hull is now the 25th different champion on the LPGA Tour this season, continuing a streak that has stretched across 24 events and began at the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
English hot-shot Lottie Woad posted a six-under final round to take third place at 18-under, followed by Japan’s Miyu Yamashita in fourth one stroke behind.
A seven-way tie for fifth at 15-under included Nasa Hataoka, Jennifer Kupcho, Maja Stark, Sei Young Kim, Mary Liu, Nelly Korda and Chisato Iwai.
Next up is the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship which gets under way on Friday 19th of September.
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