Women's British Open: Charley Hull cards first-round 71 on debut

 

Women's British Open 2012, Royal Liverpool Golf Club, Hoylake - first-round leaderboard

  • -2: H Kang (Kor), SR Ryu (Kor)
  • -1: V Hurst (US), K Futcher (US), M Miyazota (Jap), S Keating (Aus), K Webb (Aus), L Hall (Wal), C Hull (Eng), A Miyazota (Jap), J Shin (Kor)
  • Selected others: Par: H Clyburn (Eng), Y Tseng (Tpe); +1: P Creamer (US); +3: M Wie (US) +4: C Matthew (Sco), K Stupples (Eng); +8: L Davies (Eng)

English teenage amateur Charley Hull marked her Women's British Open debut with a one-under par 71 at Hoylake.

The 16-year-old ended a blustery first round one shot behind South Korean leaders Haeji Kang and So Yeon Ryu.

She shares third place with eight players, while world number one and two-time defending champion Yani Tseng from Taiwan is a shot further back.

Hull enjoyed a better day than her caddie, whose motorbike was stolen from outside his Liverpool hotel.

He needed a taxi to reach the Royal Liverpool course in time, but did not tell Hull until after her round.

Who is Charley Hull?

  • Born: 20 March, 1996
  • Lives: Northamptonshire
  • Club: Woburn
  • Excluded from the GB & Ireland team for the Curtis Cup for missing a team trial to compete in the Kraft Nabisco Championship - an LPGA Tour major - where she tied for 38th
  • Ban was overturned by the LPGA and Hull competed in the Curtis Cup, winning one point from a possible three

"My dad told him not to mention it to me during the round," said Hull, who hopes to turn professional this year.

A member of the Great Britain and Ireland team that beat the United States to win the Curtis Cup earlier this year, Hull carded two birdies in the first five holes then followed a bogey on the eighth with 10 successive pars.

"I pretend I'm just playing with my mates," she said. "I know it's a major, but that's how I try to treat it and I wasn't very nervous because I don't have expectations."

Despite a double bogey six on the eighth and two bogeys, Kang led the field courtesy of six birdies, including four in six holes around the turn.

She was joined at the top of the leaderboard by compatriot Ryu, who shot four birdies and two bogeys on the back nine.

As well as Hull, three-time winner Karrie Webb, fellow Australian Stacey Keating, Wales' Lydia Hall, South Korean Jiyai Shin, Japanese pair Mika and Ai Miyazato and Americans Vicky Hurst and Katie Futcher complete a nine-strong group one shot off the lead.

Lydia Ko, the 15-year-old New Zealander who is top of the amateur rankings, English amateur Holly Clyburn and Wales' Becky Morgan went round in a level-par 72, one better than American Michelle Wie.

Scotland's Catriona Matthew, the last British winner of the tournament in 2009, and 2004 champion Karen Stupples of England both shot 76.

Stupples's compatriot Laura Davies, a four-time major winner, is unlikely to make the cut after recording an eight-over-par 80.