Charley Hull stands by prank after resilient 71 as Shiho Kuwaki leads at six-under

Charley Hull defended a prank on her caddie after signing for a resilient 71 at Royal Lytham & St Annes, telling those who criticised her to “grow a pair of balls”. The 30-year-old’s comments came amid sustained reaction to the incident, while Shiho Kuwaki set an early halfway lead at six-under.

News that Hull had slept for only three hours before her second round added to scrutiny around her behaviour off the course, but she delivered a solid score on the links. The episode involved Hull tricking her bag man, Adam Woodward, into believing he had won £100,000 from a fake scratchcard. Some responses to the stunt were sharp: Laura Davies called Hull’s actions “extremely cruel”. After round one at Lytham, Hull had told her detractors to “loosen up”.

Hull remained unapologetic on the course, insisting she would not be cowed by the reaction. After returning a 71 at Royal Lytham & St Annes the English player said those who cannot accept criticism should “grow a pair of balls”, a remark that underlined her refusal to soften her stance. The score kept her competitive as the event reached the midway stage.

The prank itself — the fake scratchcard and the £100,000 ruse played on Adam Woodward — provoked a mixture of bemusement and condemnation across the golf world. Coverage and commentary intensified following the disclosure of Hull’s limited sleep before the second round, and some voices described the joke as crossing a line. Laura Davies’ description of the incident as “extremely cruel” exemplified the strongest public criticism.

Hull’s earlier comments that critics should “loosen up” after round one did little to quell the debate and instead prompted further rebuke. Rather than retreating in the face of criticism, she has pressed her position and repeated her defiant tone after shooting 71. That reaction has been as much a talking point as her on-course performance.

Meanwhile, amid the off-course noise, Shiho Kuwaki emerged with the early halfway lead at six-under, occupying the top spot on the leaderboard as the championship reached its midpoint. Her position contrasted with the headlines surrounding Hull and provided a clear competitive focus for the tournament.

Hull’s combination of a steady round and forthright public responses ensured the controversy remained a central storyline alongside the sporting action. As the Women’s Open moved into its later stages, the leaderboard and the debate over the prank continued to draw attention.