When Gabby Herzig publishes a golf story, it tends to get attention. So it was no surprise that her in-depth profile of LPGA star Charley Hull for The Athletic quickly gained traction. The reason was simple: for the first time, Hull openly spoke about her marriage and painful divorce from MMA fighter Ozzie Smith, and how she somehow continued to compete at the highest level while her personal life was unraveling.
Hull explained that she chose the path that would ultimately make her stronger—a decision that has earned her widespread respect within the golf world.
On the Mixed Bag podcast, host Mad Adkins encouraged listeners to read Herzig’s piece, praising it for going beyond surface-level storytelling.
“It’s not a superficial look at Charley Hull,” Adkins said. “It’s a real deep dive into who she is as a person. There were so many details and insights I didn’t even know before. I love that kind of long-form storytelling.”
The profile shed light on just how difficult that period was for Hull. Fellow podcast contributor Kevin Van echoed that sentiment.
“She went through a lot with that whole divorce situation,” he said. “It’s something most people had no idea about, and it was way tougher than fans probably realized.”
What stood out most to both commentators was Hull’s resilience. Despite everything happening off the course, she continued to play elite golf.
“She just powered through it,” Adkins said. “I honestly don’t know how she did it. She’s built differently than most people.”
Hull married Smith in September 2019 at just 23 years old. He was 14 years her senior, and after dating for about a year and a half, the timing seemed right. But the marriage began to fall apart almost immediately. Hull wanted the divorce finalized quickly so she could regain stability, yet the emotional weight lingered long after the paperwork was complete. The divorce was finalized in 2021, and until Herzig’s article, Hull had never publicly discussed what went wrong.
Her refuge during that time was golf.
Between 2020 and 2021, Hull’s professional achievements painted a picture of success: three top-10 finishes in major championships, a win in Abu Dhabi, nearly $1 million earned on the LPGA Tour, and an unbeaten record at the 2021 Solheim Cup as Europe defeated the United States. On paper, it was a career-defining stretch. In reality, she was barely holding herself together.
Her close friend and fellow LPGA star Georgia Hall witnessed it firsthand. Hall once told her, “Charley, I don’t know how you go out there and play unbelievable golf with everything you’ve got going on. Anyone else would be a mental wreck.”
Hull agreed. Golf became her escape—her safe place when everything else felt overwhelming.
The admiration Hull receives today isn’t only about her talent or results. It’s about the strength it took to show up, compete, and succeed while dealing with emotional trauma that would have sidelined many athletes. She chose the harder path, and it made her tougher. Two years after the divorce, Hull was diagnosed with ADHD, adding another layer to her personal journey.
Rather than stepping away to recover, Hull channeled her pain into performance. Sometimes, simply continuing forward is the hardest thing to do—and that perseverance has come to define her.
As the 2025 season winds down, Hull’s impact remains clear, even without a win. She and Michael Brennan finished second at the Grant Thornton Invitational, just three strokes behind the winners. Throughout the week, Hull’s consistency and leadership kept the team competitive.
“Charley’s a baller,” Brennan said. “She pretty much kept us in it single-handedly. It was really impressive.”
His words reflected not just Hull’s shot-making, but her calm decision-making when things got difficult. Her ability to steady the partnership reinforced her status as one of the LPGA’s most reliable figures.
After the event, Hull admitted the result didn’t bring her much satisfaction, especially given how well she had played all season. That honesty added depth to the near miss—it showed a player still chasing improvement, not settling for second place.
For Brennan, the week was memorable for another reason. He joined the field at the last minute and made the most of the opportunity.
“I found out on Monday that I was playing,” he said. “I really appreciate Charley trusting me to be her partner.”
As 2025 comes to a close, it’s clear that Charley Hull’s influence goes beyond leaderboards. She continues to set a high standard; not only for her performance, but for resilience, professionalism, and inner strength.
