Charley Hull's late four-putt disaster costs her title at PIF London Championship

Charley Hull, one of women's golf's most prominent figures, found herself at the center of a dramatic turn of events at the PIF London Championship held at Centurion Club. In the decisive moment of the final round, with victory seemingly within reach, the British golfer made a catastrophic error that cost her the title. A four-putt on the penultimate 17th hole turned a comfortable lead into a double bogey and paved the way for her young opponent's triumph.

The final round of the London tournament began with Hull trailing 17-year-old Anna Huang by three shots. However, demonstrating character and skill, Hull birdied five of the next 11 holes to take a one-shot lead heading into the par-3 17th. This hole, which should have been a formality on her path to victory, turned into a true disaster. Both golfers reached the green, but while Huang confidently made par, Hull encountered insurmountable difficulties. Her first putt from 30 feet missed the hole by a considerable margin, and her subsequent attempt to salvage par also missed, leaving her with another four feet to the hole. Ultimately, a double bogey on the 17th hole dropped Hull one shot behind Huang.

On the final hole, the par-5 18th, Hull managed to reach the green in two shots and two-putted for a closing birdie. However, this proved insufficient. Anna Huang, displaying incredible composure, drained a long putt for eagle on the 18th hole, sealing her victory by two shots. This triumph marked the fourth Ladies European Tour title in the last 11 months for the 17-year-old Canadian.

Hull's week started with a shaky opening round of 74. However, on the second day, the British golfer showcased her class by setting a new course record at Centurion Club, shooting a 62 (-11). This performance, which broke Georgia Hall's previous record, propelled Hull back into contention for the title. After her record-breaking round, Hull admitted to feeling extremely fatigued from a grueling LPGA schedule that included two majors and the Scottish Open in four weeks. "I'm really tired, my body is just falling apart. I have a few ongoing injuries, so I've been having a lot of physio. I'm shocked that I shot 11-under today because I felt completely exhausted this morning. It felt like the easiest 11-under round of my life. I feel like I left a couple of shots out there and I want to improve tomorrow," Hull shared on Friday.

Despite her physical and emotional exhaustion, the World No. 6 demonstrated incredible willpower, fighting for her first home-soil title. Her Sunday birdie barrage allowed her to pull ahead, but the fateful mistake on the 17th hole denied her a deserved reward. Last year, Hull herself won the Kroger Queen City Championship thanks to Thitikul's four-putt on the 72nd hole, and now she found herself on the other side of a similar drama.

Anna Huang, on the other hand, could not contain her emotions after the victory: "This was probably the most thrilling round of golf of my life. It was crazy. I have no words. I'm just so shocked. I knew that three tough holes at the end were not easy, and The source author tried to focus on each shot because anything can happen in golf, and I stayed in my own lane. I can't believe I made another eagle on 18. I focused on the putt and made a good stroke, and it went in. Charley is such a phenomenal player, and playing with her in the past two days in the final group has been really cool."

This victory was historic for Huang: she broke Lydia Ko's record as the youngest golfer to win four LET titles. Huang achieved this at the age of 17 years, 9 months, and 10 days, while Ko won her fourth title at 18 years, 4 months, and 20 days.

"A year ago, I was at a really low point in my life, and golf wasn't really fun for me. I was dealing with all these thoughts, but with the help of my family and all my support, I was able to get myself back together and push through that part," Huang added, mentioning Lydia Ko as her childhood idol.

While Huang celebrated her historic success, Charley Hull left Centurion Club contemplating another missed victory in a year already filled with "what-ifs" and "could-have-beens."