Charley Hull‘s Solheim Cup week got off to a chaotic start at Bernardus Golf, and by Tuesday morning her name was already in a controversy. Hull is speculated to have arrived late for her first tee of the Tuesday practice round, and it didn’t take long for speculation to spread that night out was to blame. So her vice-captain, Mel Reid, decided to address it head-on and put it to rest.

Speaking at the press conference, Reid was asked directly about the circumstances behind Hull’s late arrival on the tee.

“It’s a completely false story. Charley Hull was the first one to bed last night, at 8 o’clock, and the first one on the bus this morning. She doesn’t even drink. So that is a completely false story. It’s been misquoted. She was late to the tee because I was responsible for her, so I’ll take a little bit of responsibility to that. But she just thought her tee time was a little bit later, and trying to drag Charley Hull off a driving range is a feat in any tournament, especially a Solheim Cup. So, yeah, it’s a completely false story,” she said.

While Reid agreed Hull was off by a few minutes due to her habit of staying back long on the range during the Solheim Cup, she dismissed a late-night party as the reason.

The reporter pushed back, noting he hadn’t heard a false story circulating, only that she’d been late on the tee. Reid then clarified what she meant.

“Well, there’s actually a story behind it, though, so I just kind of want to shut this down before the people start talking about it. But she was literally late because, one, I couldn’t drag her off the driving range, and, two, she thought her tee time was five minutes later than it was.”

The questions arose after Hull was nowhere to be seen on Tuesday morning. Her absence became apparent when her group, which included Lottie Woad, teed off on schedule without her. Sky Sports broadcasters caught the moment live, with commentator Sophie Walker noting on air that “Charley Hull is at the tee box by herself because her group has teed off two minutes ahead of her, so she’s catching them up now.”

Here’s where the situation gets confusing, though: Hull herself was heard on the broadcast offering an explanation for the delay, telling those around her that the group had had drinks the previous night. An outlet picked up the comment on the microphone and reported it as the reason behind her tardiness. Reid’s press conference denial, however, directly contradicts that account, insisting Hull was in bed by 8 p.m.

Still, as Reid pointed out, pulling Hull off the range can be tough. A similar incident occurred in 2023 at Finca Cortesín, when she cut it close before her Game 4 foursomes match, arriving just in time to encourage her partner, Emily Pedersen, before Pedersen played their opening shot alone. A visibly concerned Suzann Pettersen had gone looking for her, and when the two appeared together minutes later, Pettersen could only roll her eyes and smile, the reaction Golf Digest described as sending a clear message of “just Charley being Charley,” with the explanation being that Hull had been on the range and lost track of time.

Reid, who has known Hull since she was 12, has spoken before about how Hull operates during tournament week, once describing her as “like a caged animal” who needs room to do things her own way rather than stick to a rigid schedule.

For now, with the rumors put to rest, the focus shifts back to why Hull is such a key figure for Team Europe this week. She arrives as Europe’s top qualifier, having topped the LET Solheim Cup points list with 264.18 points on the back of two wins during the qualifying period. She has also secured her eighth straight appearance in the event. Her overall Solheim Cup record stands at 15-9-3 across seven prior appearances, making her one of the most experienced players on the European team.

Whatever caused the delay, Reid didn’t bother denying a rumor about a fringe player. She denied one about the player Europe is building its week around. That starts being tested Friday.