“Silent mind, that's it. It's the silent mind.”
For Charley Hull, the key to her strong performance this week at the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open has been to “empty her mind.” Think of anything but the golf at hand. And even though it seems a little counterproductive (she said she couldn’t remember the number of birdies she posted or the exact shots used to make them), it’s certainly worked for the 25-year-old, who after a third-round 69 will play alongside Ariya Jutanugarn and Ryann O’Toole in the final grouping and tied for the tournament lead at -9.
“Just another day in the office as you say. But yeah should be a good day tomorrow,” said Hull. “I wasn't really thinking much, not about golf, anyway. I was thinking about loads of other things but not golf.
It’s been 1,728 days since her first and only win on the LPGA Tour, at the 2016 CME Group Tour Championship. She didn’t look at leaderboards then, and the goal will be to continue that tradition as Hull makes her way through Dumbarnie Links.
“Back in 2016 when I won the CME I didn't look at the leaderboard the whole week until I stepped on to the 18th green, and I looked and I was two shots ahead, and this week I haven't really been looking at the leaderboard too much either. So yeah, I'm going to do that tomorrow,” said Hull. “My best weeks I usually do it and the other weeks I'm too nosey and I do look. So I'm learning not to be nosey and not look at the leaderboard.”
Hull said her game may be even better than it was back in her win in 2016, and hopes it translates into victory yet another victory.
“My golf game this year has probably been one of the best I've ever been. I put so much hard work into it in the winter,” said Hull. “But it's my mind; I've been struggling very, like, mentally on and off the golf course but the last few weeks I've been feeling a lot better, so it comes into my golf.”
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