The golf world is still buzzing after Charley Hull’s jaw-dropping triumph at the Kroger Queen City Championship, a victory that didn’t just end her long drought — it launched her into the history books. With the win, Hull catapulted three spots in the Rolex Rankings to No. 5, making her the first English player EVER to break into the top 5 since the rankings began in 2006.
For Hull, 29, it’s a moment more than a decade in the making. She debuted in the Rolex Rankings in 2012 as a teenage phenom at No. 456, just 16 years old. Over the years, she clawed her way up the ladder, hitting No. 7 last year before falling back. Now, after years of heartbreak, near-misses, and a storm of injuries, she’s finally delivered the breakthrough that England has been waiting for.
“It’s been a bit of a drought,” Hull admitted after her emotional win in Cincinnati. “I’ve had quite a few second-place finishes… I’ve been the bridesmaid, and now I’m the bride, finally.”
And what a bride she was. Hull came into the Kroger limping from injury but riding momentum after a runner-up finish at the LET’s Aramco Houston Championship and another at the AIG Women’s Open. In fact, she had racked up six runner-up finishes since her last win in 2022, a record that had many fans doubting whether she could ever cross the line again.
Then came Sunday — a day that will go down as one of the most dramatic finales in recent LPGA memory. Hull had held the lead all afternoon, but a costly bogey on 17 left her trailing world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul by one. The KPMG Performance Insights gave Hull only a 14.3% chance to win standing on the 18th tee. Her comeback looked impossible.
What happened next shocked everyone. Thitikul, known as one of the best putters in the game, suffered an unthinkable collapse on the 72nd hole, four-putting from 50 feet to bogey the last. Hull, steady under pressure, capitalized and snatched the victory by a single stroke. The golf world erupted.
For Thitikul, it was heartbreak — her eighth runner-up finish in just four seasons, the most of any player on tour. For Hull, it was vindication — proof that resilience, grit, and sheer willpower could overcome years of frustration and pain.
From fainting at Evian, to battling back injuries, to playing through torn ligaments, Hull’s road to the top has been anything but smooth. But this win, and the historic climb into the Rolex top 5, shows that her story is far from over. In fact, it may just be beginning.
The question now isn’t whether Charley Hull can win again — it’s how far she’ll go from here.
