Charley Hull isn’t one to hold back her thoughts. Be it her views on the slow pace of play or speaking about her ADHD symptoms on the course, she has always been vocal. This time, she shared her thoughts on playing with Lydia Ko as a team at the Hanwha Lifeplus International Crown.

After the end of the second day at the biennial event, reporters asked Charley Hull if she had enjoyed beating Team Korea in front of the home crowd. The Kroger Queen City Championship said yes, but she also shared why she enjoyed it more with the 23x LPGA winner by her side. “Yeah, I just enjoy playing golf. It was fun being out there with Lydia. She’s like so relaxed, and that’s the kind of partner I like. I don’t really like anyone that’s like, yeah, come on. I don’t like that. I think that’s a little rubbish. I like someone that’s like chill, just out there just chilled. That’s what you get from Lydia and it’s perfect for me,” said Hull.

The duo represents the World Team, the first in the history of the International Crown. While Ko represents New Zealand, Hull represents England. The team also includes Brooke Henderson (Canada) and Wei-Ling Hsu (Taiwan). Ko initially thought that her team lacked a bit of chemistry going into the tournament. Unlike other teams, all four members of the World Team represent different countries. Thus, they hardly get any time to play together, so Ko’s thoughts were understandable. However, the chemistry between the veteran golfers has only flourished at the tournament.

Opposites attract, they say, and it seems to come true at the biennial event. Hull is someone who is very spontaneous and energetic, and she embraces her personality. “If you think I’ve got a lot of personality on the golf course, you should see what my life is like at home,” Hull said at the 2024 US Women’s Open. “But yeah, it is quite funny. I’m just me. You don’t know what’s coming out of my mouth next. I don’t know what’s coming out of my mouth next. It’s one of them things. I’m just me.”

With her spontaneous personality, Charley Hull likes to play alongside Ko, who is very calm on the course. Ko maintained her calm during the last 2 holes on the first day. She birdied the last 2 to tie their match against Japan’s Miyu Yamashita and Rio Takeda in the opening four-balls. “Like the last two holes, it was just pure Lydia, and I’m glad I wasn’t playing against her,” Hull said, praising Ko’s clutch in the pressure.

Although Ko was worried about the lack of chemistry in their team, the World Team is doing just fine at the biennial event.

World Team’s performance at the International Crown so far

The World Team is part of Pool B, which also includes the Republic of South Korea, Japan, and Sweden. After 2 wins and 2 ties, the World Team is leading Pool B. It has been a team effort so far for them. On the first day, the World Team was up against Japan. It was a day for the rookies Miyu Yamashita and Rio Takeda to shine. Although they didn’t win, they held up against the veteran Hull and Ko duo, ending the game in a tie. However, Wei-Ling Hsu and Brooke Henderson beat the pairings of Ayaka Furue and Mao Saigo to get a point.

On the second day, it was time for Hull and Ko to show their skills on the course. They edged past the Republic of South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim and Hye-Jin Choi on the last hole to win. Both teams pushed each other to the very end. But Charley Hull sank a 12-foot birdie on the last hole to give the World Team a 1-up win. “But I managed to whack it, but I don’t want to whack it too hard because I don’t want to have a fiddler coming back. So just thought hole it and save the stress,” explained Charley Hull on her winning putt. This time, Wei-Ling Hsu and Brooke Henderson ended up tying against Jin Young Ko and Haeran Ryu.

While the World Team is leading Pool B, it won’t be easy for them to win the International Crown. Team USA in Pool A, which also includes Jeeno Thitikul’s Thailand, Australia, and the People’s Republic of China, has remained unbeaten so far. There’s a lot of excitement going into the final two days of the game to see who between Team USA and the World Team wins, or if some other team climbs the ladder to edge past them.