The PIF London Championship 2025, running August 8–10 at Hertfordshire’s Centurion Club, was set to be a special home-stage for Charley Hull, featuring both team and individual formats with 104 top pros. Instead of teeing off, the hometown favourite will now watch from the sidelines after her campaign ended before it began.
Hull broke the news to her followers in an emotional Instagram update less than 24 hours before the first round. What was meant to be a celebratory homecoming quickly turned into a withdrawal announcement. “Gutted to say I’ve had to withdraw from the PIF London Championship this week,” she wrote, confirming she had sustained ankle ligament damage in what she described as a “non-serious” off-course accident.
Although the injury is not severe, doctors warned that competing could aggravate it, forcing her to prioritise recovery over a home crowd appearance. “Nothing major, but the docs say I’ve got to rest or I’ll make it worse,” she explained. The decision not only ends her bid for a share of the $2 million purse but also dashes the chance to compete in front of family, friends, and local supporters at Centurion Club. There is no doubt that this unfortunate event stung and was clearly disappointing for her.
“Absolutely gutted not to be playing at home, especially at an event like this. It means so much to me, and I’m really sorry to the fans coming out and to my sponsors, especially Golf Saudi,” she said, adding that she still hopes to connect with spectators over the weekend. “Hopefully I’ll still get to meet some of you… I’ll be back soon.”
What makes Hull’s withdrawal even more unexpected is that, only a day earlier, she had spoken candidly to reporters about the accident without suggesting she might miss the tournament. She recounted how a routine day of practice had ended abruptly when she tripped over a curb in the Centurion Club car park, hearing her ankle “pop” and briefly fearing she had broken it. “I thought I broke it… I nearly fainted,” she said, adding that an MRI was scheduled but she still expected to tee it up.
Hull even managed to inject humour into the incident, laughing about fellow pro Thomas Bjørn’s remark that “every time he sees me, I’m lying down somewhere.” Despite the scare, she assured everyone she felt ready to compete, telling reporters, “I will be teeing up tomorrow… hitting balls shouldn’t be an issue.”
This latest withdrawal adds to a troubling streak of setbacks that have plagued Hull in recent weeks. During the opening round of the Amundi Evian Championship just four weeks ago, Hull was forced to withdraw mid-round when illness struck, leading her to collapse not once, but twice on the fourth tee. She was ultimately stretchered off the course after being unable to continue.
Now, less than a month later, a seemingly innocuous slip in a parking lot has struck again. The repeated health scares from collapsing mid-major to fearing a broken ankle on home soil — underscore the frustrating unpredictability Hull has had to navigate in her bid to stay competitive.
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