Teen star Charley Hull fifth in LET event

Teen star Charley Hull in the LET mix in Turkey 11th May, 2012 England’s world number three amateur, Charley Hull, is just two strokes off the lead heading into the weekend at the Turkish Airlines Ladies Open on the Ladies European Tour. The 16-year-old from Woburn (pictured © LET/Tristan Jones) outplayed the likes of Laura Davies, Melissa Reid and last week’s winner, Carly Booth, to lie in a share of fourth place at the halfway stage in her Ladies European Tour debut event at National Golf Club in Antalya. The defending champion and Solheim Cup player Christel Boeljon of the Netherlands retained a share of the overnight lead at three under and was joined by Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom on a tough day, when a swirling breeze and tricky pins played havoc with scoring. Finland’s Minea Blomqvist was a stroke back at two under. Charley, who tied for 38th in her first Major at the Kraft Nabisco Championship last month, showed maturity beyond her years as she mixed three birdies with two bogeys to end the day at one under par in total. She likened the tight-tree lined layout to her home course and looked fearless as she attacked the pins, even hitting the flag on the tough 18th, where the second shot plays over a lake. “I feel like it was good. I feel like I left a lot of shots out there, but it was all right, steady. I was just relaxed,” said Charley. “I think you’ve just got to stay patient. You’ve got to hit it straight, chip great and putt great. Your game’s got to be pretty good. It reminds me of my home course, Woburn, like the tightness of the Duchess, but the greens of the Marquess, and then the wind can get up here as well, so it’s pretty good.” On a day when most of the leading professionals struggled, Charley made a great start with a pair of birdies on the third and fourth holes. She dropped a shot at the par-five 12th, which has been remodelled with a new green this year, birdied the 13th and then bogeyed the par three 16th. She nearly holed for a two at the 357-yard par-four 18th, but her ball bounced towards the water and came to rest 30 feet from the flag. On her game plan for the weekend, she said: “I’ll try and make a birdie every three holes, because I find when I go to the scorer, there’s always a birdie chance.” Should Charley win this weekend in Turkey, she would edge Amy Yang as the Ladies European Tour’s youngest ever champion aged 16 years, one month and 23 days. Turkish Airlines Ladies Open National Golf Club (par 73) Belek, Antalya, Turkey 10-13 May 2012 Scores at the end of round 2: 143 – Christel Boeljon (NLD) 70 73, Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) 73 70 144 – Minea Blomqvist (FIN) 72 72  145 – Charley Hull (ENG) 73 72, Louise Larsson (SWE) 75 70, Pernilla Lindberg (SWE) 70 75, Diana Luna (ITA) 70 75 146 – Mikaela Parmlid (SWE) 77 69, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 72 74, Laura Davies (ENG) 73 73, Sophie Giquel-bettan (FRA) 73 73 147 – Caroline Masson (GER) 71 76, Florentyna Parker (ENG) 70 77, Rebecca Hudson (ENG) 72 75, Hannah Burke (ENG) 73 74, Esther Choe (USA) 75 72, Anais Maggetti (CHE) 71 76, Lee-Anne Pace (ZAF) 73 74, Charlotte Ellis (ENG) 70 77 148 – Holly Aitchison (ENG) 74 74, Bree Arthur (AUS) 73 75, Tania Elosegui (ESP) 72 76, Trish Johnson (ENG) 75 73, Stacey Keating (AUS) 71 77, Joanna Klatten (FRA) 73 75 149 – Virginie Lagoutte-clement (FRA) 75 74, Carlota Ciganda (ESP) 73 76, Linda Wessberg (SWE) 73 76, Line Vedel (DNK) 76 73, Danielle Montgomery (ENG) 72 77, Henrietta Zuel (ENG) 73 76, Hannah Jun (USA) 74 75, Lucie Andre (FRA) 71 78, Julie Maisongrosse (FRA) 76 73, Carin Koch (SWE) 72 77 150 – Marieke Nivard (NLD) 76 74, Alexandra Vilatte (FRA) 74 76, Beth Allen (USA) 76 74, Ashleigh Simon (ZAF) 78 72, Cassandra Kirkland (FRA) 74 76 151 – Dewi Claire Schreefel (NLD) 77 74, Vikki Laing (SCO) 75 76, Caroline Rominger (CHE) 80 71, Lindsey Wright (AUS) 72 79 152 – Caroline Afonso (FRA) 77 75, Malene Jorgensen (DNK) 76 76, Carly Booth (SCO) 73 79, Connie Chen (ZAF) 77 75, Stefania Croce (ITA) 76 76, Celine Palomar (FRA) 74 78, Miriam Nagl (GER) 74 78, Caroline Martens (NOR) 76 76, Rachel Jennings (ENG) 80 72, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 76 76 153 – Georgina Simpson (ENG) 74 79, Jaclyn Sweeney (USA) 77 76, Melissa Reid (ENG) 76 77, Smriti Mehra (IND) 79 74, Rachel Bailey (AUS) 79 74, Sarah Kemp (AUS) 73 80, Felicity Johnson (ENG) 77 76, Maria Verchenova (RUS) 78 75, Lotta Wahlin (SWE) 77 76, Anja Monke (GER) 74 79 Missed the cut: 154 – Marjet Van Der Graaff (NLD) 79 75, Giulia Sergas (ITA) 75 79, Maria Hernandez (ESP) 80 74, Emma Cabrera-bello (ESP) 74 80, Sophie Walker (ENG) 75 79, Tandi Cuningham (ZAF) 79 75, Nikki Garrett (AUS) 77 77, Elisabeth Esterl (GER) 77 77, Veronica Zorzi (ITA) 75 79, Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 80 74 155 – Jenni Kuosa (FIN) 75 80, Carmen Alonso (ESP) 79 76, Elena Giraud (FRA) 80 75, Kylie Walker (SCO) 79 76, Becky Brewerton (WAL) 77 78, Kym Larratt (ENG) 80 75, Kiran Matharu (ENG) 78 77, Laurette Maritz (ZAF) 76 79, Margherita Rigon (ITA) 77 78 156 – Lucy Williams (ENG) 78 78, Chrisje De Vries (NLD) 78 78, Jessica Yadloczky (USA) 76 80, Sahra Hassan (WAL) 75 81 157 – Stacy Lee Bregman (ZAF) 76 81, Mireia Prat (ESP) 79 78, Dawn Shockley (USA) 74 83, Laura Cabanillas (ESP) 78 79, Liebelei Lawrence (LUX) 78 79, Valentine Derrey (FRA) 73 84, Julie Greciet (FRA) 76 81, Becky Morgan (WAL) 75 82 158 – Steffi Kirchmayr (GER) 81 77, Maria Beautell (ESP) 82 76, Karen Lunn (AUS) 74 84, Sophie Sandolo (ITA) 82 76 159 – Helen Alfredsson (SWE) 80 79, Caroline Westrup (SWE) 80 79, Klara Spilkova (CZE) 79 80, Elizabeth Bennett (ENG) 80 79, Danielle Mcveigh (IRL) 80 79, Lisa Holm Sorensen (DNK) 78 81, Stephanie Na (AUS) 78 81, Rebecca Codd (IRL) 84 75 160 – Clare Queen (SCO) 81 79, Zuzana Kamasova (SVK) 82 78, Louise Stahle (SWE) 78 82 161 – Titiya Plucksataporn (THA) 83 78, Lydia Hall (WAL) 78 83 162 – Martina Eberl-ellis (GER) 84 78, Sharmila Nicollet (IND) 83 79, Nicole Gergely (AUT) 81 81 163 – Frances Bondad (AUS) 78 85 164 – Nina Syvertsen Reis (SWE) 84 80, Rebecca Artis (AUS) 82 82 166 – Lynn Kenny (SCO) 82 84 167 – Yasemin Sari (TUR) 84 83 168 – Eleanor Givens (ENG) 85 83 RTD: Lynnette Brooky (NZL), Tara Davies (WAL), Benedicte Toumpsin (BEL) England teenage star Charley Hull finished fifth in her first Ladies European Tour event, the Turkish Airline Ladies Open at the National Golf Club in Belek, Antalya. The 16-year-old international, who is third in the world amateur rankings, was one-under par after steady rounds of 73, 72, 73 and 73. The championship was won, for the second year in a row, by Christel Boeljon of Holland who was seven-under. Afterwards Charley said: “I’m really happy I came fifth on my own and I didn’t shoot over par at all, all week. I didn’t expect anything: I just go out there and play golf and have fun, which I did.” The Woburn player was in the mix throughout the tournament. After the first round she was three shots off the pace, at the halfway stage she was two off the lead and sharing fourth place. With a round to go, she was tied eighth and her solid play in the final round moved her up the leaderboard to fifth. Last month Charley played in the first women’s Major of the season, the Kraft Nabisco Championship in California and impressively finished tied 38th. Now, she will prepare for next month’s Curtis Cup match against the USA, which takes place at Nairn, Scotland, from June 8-10. Turkish Airlines Ladies Open Final scores (Par 73) 285 – Christel Boeljon (NLD) 70 73 69 73 288 – Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) 73 70 71 74 290 – Carin Koch (SWE) 72 77 68 73, Carlota Ciganda (ESP) 73 76 66 75 291 – Charley Hull (ENG) 73 72 73 73 292 – Minea Blomqvist (FIN) 72 72 70 78, Holly Aitchison (ENG) 74 74 70 74, Pernilla Lindberg (SWE) 70 75 74 73 293 – Hannah Jun (USA) 74 75 71 73, Sophie Giquel-Bettan (FRA) 73 73 74 73 294 – Diana Luna (ITA) 70 75 72 77 295 – Danielle Montgomery (ENG) 72 77 72 74 296 – Louise Larsson (SWE) 75 70 73 78, Esther Choe (USA) 75 72 77 72, Line Vedel (DNK) 76 73 68 79 297 – Bree Arthur (AUS) 73 75 72 77, Rebecca Hudson (ENG) 72 75 71 79, Miriam Nagl (GER) 74 78 74 71 298 – Laura Davies (ENG) 73 73 78 74, Sarah Kemp (AUS) 73 80 68 77, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 72 74 75 77, Caroline Masson (GER) 71 76 76 75 299 – Lindsey Wright (AUS) 72 79 71 77, Stacey Keating (AUS) 71 77 78 73, Lee-Anne Pace (ZAF) 73 74 74 78, Hannah Burke (ENG) 73 74 75 77, Joanna Klatten (FRA) 73 75 75 76, Trish Johnson (ENG) 75 73 73 78, Ashleigh Simon (ZAF) 78 72 71 78, Felicity Johnson (ENG) 77 76 72 74 300 – Anais Maggetti (CHE) 71 76 80 73, Linda Wessberg (SWE) 73 76 75 76, Lucie Andre (FRA) 71 78 74 77, Marieke Nivard (NLD) 76 74 72 78, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 76 76 74 74 301 – Stefania Croce (ITA) 76 76 76 73, Mikaela Parmlid (SWE) 77 69 79 76, Malene Jorgensen (DNK) 76 76 74 75, Melissa Reid (ENG) 76 77 69 79, Charlotte Ellis (ENG) 70 77 77 77, Henrietta Zuel (ENG) 73 76 75 77 302 – Cassandra Kirkland (FRA) 74 76 75 77, Anja Monke (GER) 74 79 76 73 303 – Carly Booth (SCO) 73 79 78 73, Dewi Claire Schreefel (NLD) 77 74 76 76 304 – Julie Maisongrosse (FRA) 76 73 80 75, Rachel Bailey (AUS) 79 74 73 78, Jaclyn Sweeney (USA) 77 76 73 78, Celine Palomar (FRA) 74 78 80 72, Georgina Simpson (ENG) 74 79 69 82 305 – Vikki Laing (SCO) 75 76 77 77, Rachel Jennings (ENG) 80 72 76 77, Lotta Wahlin (SWE) 77 76 75 77, Maria Verchenova (RUS) 78 75 76 76 307 – Florentyna Parker (ENG) 70 77 77 83, Beth Allen (USA) 76 74 79 78 309 – Caroline Martens (NOR) 76 76 75 82 310 – Alexandra Vilatte (FRA) 74 76 74 86, Caroline Afonso (FRA) 77 75 78 80, Virginie Lagoutte-clement (FRA) 75 74 82 79 311 – Smriti Mehra (IND) 79 74 81 77 312 – Caroline Rominger (CHE) 80 71 84 77 313 – Tania Elosegui (ESP) 72 76 80 85 315 – Connie Chen (ZAF) 77 75 80 83   11 May 2012 Teen star Charley Hull fifth in LET event