Charley Hull is not backing down. The LPGA Tour star has come under fire for a prank that many have labeled 'cruel,' but she's making it clear she has no regrets.
The English golfer recently played a trick on her caddie, Adam Woodward, by giving him a fake scratch card that appeared to be a £100,000 ($134,000) winner. Woodward's initial reaction was pure joy—he thought he'd just hit a life-changing windfall. But then Hull revealed the truth: it was all a joke.
While Hull found the whole thing hilarious, the internet had a different take. Critics argued that a boss pranking an employee into believing they'd won a fortune—only to yank it away—wasn't funny at all. The backlash was swift, but Hull isn't budging.
Hull doubles down, won't apologize
Speaking after shooting a 2-under 69 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes, Hull defended her actions with a shrug. 'He thought it was funny after,' she said. 'He's not uptight. Like, it's a joke. If people don't like it, they can lump it, do you know what I mean?'
She even acknowledged feeling a twinge of guilt for 'Adsy,' but that didn't stop her from doubling down. 'I felt bad for Adsy, but at the end of the day, I just got to have a good week, and at the end of the week, I'll buy him 100 scratch cards,' she added.
Hull's defiance echoes a broader trend of athletes refusing to cave to online outrage, much like Serena Williams declining to apologize for her bold social media posts. And Hull is clearly in that camp.
She also revealed that she doesn't even have social media on her phone during tournament weeks, which might explain her unbothered attitude. 'I don't really have my social media on my phone on tournament weeks,' she explained. 'So, I delete it, and when I go home, I'll add it again. I don't really like people seeing me and tagging me and stuff. I like to keep in the present moment.'
'But, yeah, I think people need to lighten up if they're taking that too seriously because it was pretty funny,' she concluded.
Hull's stance has sparked debate, but she's not alone in the sports world when it comes to controversial pranks. Just recently, Uruguay faced criticism for a 'cruel' punishment after their World Cup exit, showing that athletes and teams often brush off public scrutiny.
For Hull, the focus remains on her game, and she's not letting the noise distract her. Whether fans agree with her prank or not, she's staying true to her personality—and that's not changing anytime soon.
