Charley Hull and Georgia Hall have been best friends since age 11, or thereabouts. This week’s Dow Championship is merely an extension of what they’ve been doing for more their half their lives.
“It was just a no-brainer,” said Hall of them partnering together for the LPGA team event. “We didn’t even consider anyone else.
“I was more like, ‘George, you’re playing with me,’ ” said Hull.
“I was like, ‘all right, Charles,’ ” added Hall.
This marks the first time that Hull has played in the Dow, a popular team event that debuted on the LPGA schedule in 2019. The tournament, held at Midland Country Club, features 72 teams, including the likes of Lexi Thompson/Brooke Henderson; Lydia Ko/Danielle Kang; Jin Young Ko/Nasa Hataoka; Ruoning Yin/Atthaya Thitikul; and Celine Boutier/Yuka Saso.
Dow Championship: 15 teams to watch
The first and third rounds will be played in foursomes (alternate shot), and the second and final rounds will be played in a four-ball (best ball) format. After 36 holes, the field will be cut to the low 33 teams and ties. The purse of $3 million will award a first-place team prize of $732,165 ($366,082 each).
Hall and Hull grew up practicing together in England and now live three minutes apart. Not a day goes by that they don’t speak to each other. They represented England Golf together for years and are stalwarts of the European Solheim Cup team. This week, Hall and Hull both officially made the Olympic Team for Great Britain.
“Just spending time with George, because we love playing golf together,” said Charley of what they’re most looking forward to in Paris. “We share together, we go to the gym together. We eat food together. We get our nails done together. Obviously that week is going to be a bit of a busy week, but it’s just nice to share it with your best friend special in a moment like that.”
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During the Dow press conference, plans were hatched to go shopping in Paris. Hull agreed to watching gymnastics with Hall if she’d go to boxing.
Someone suggested they start a podcast.
“Honestly, you haven’t heard anything yet,” quipped Hall.
With both Englishwomen ranked in the top 40, they’ll be a formidable pair this week in Michigan.
LPGA members on the winning team in Midland will receive the standard two-year winner’s exemption. CME points and prize money will be official for the purposes of the current-year LPGA Official Money List and Race to the CME Globe Standings. Rolex Player of the Year, Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year and U.S. Solheim Cup points will not be allocated and statistics will not be calculated. Rolex Women’s World Rankings Points also will not be allocated.
Hull and Hall have practiced and competed together so much over the years that they know each other’s games inside and out. The pair of 28-year-olds have each won twice on the LPGA, with Hall’s first title coming at the 2018 Ricoh Women’s British Open.
It’s not just each other’s games they’re familiar with, however, it’s personalities, too.
“I know when Charley is upset before she does,” said Hall, “and she’s the same with me. She’ll be like, ‘What’s wrong?’ And I’ll be like, ‘Nothing.’
“There is, and I’ll tell her a few days later. We know each other really well, and I think that’s so important. This type of an event we go out there and just have fun.”
As for the team name – Rose and Thorn – well, that came courtesy of mutual friend, Ryan Evans, who once described Georgia as the lovely English rose and Charley the thorn.
“It was kind of stark,” said Hall, “but there’s lots of thorns around the rose, so you protect me, don’t you?”
Always.