Charley Hull’s rise to global attention looked effortless from the outside, and yet the golfer’s recent candor brings an entirely different story to the fore. While many know about the viral picture of her while smoking, not many know about what led her to the habit, her ADHD struggles.

Her reflections offer a rare look at how personal turmoil, professional pressure, and an urgent search for relief pushed one of England’s top golfers into habits she never expected to adopt. “They say that when you go through a very stressful situation, it almost triggers my ADHD and anxiety more,” Hull told Gabby Herzig of The Athletic. “Before, I was never like this. I was twitchy, I was fast. My brain never used to be a demon.”

Doctors diagnosed Charley Hull with ADHD in 2023, two years after her divorce from MMA fighter Ozzie Smith. Hull described her brain turning into a “demon” post-diagnosis. This led to her becoming impatient and she found it difficult to focus on the slow-paced golf course. This also explains her vocal outburst on the slow-play issue at LPGA events.

Notably, she took four weeks off in early 2023 owing to mental health issues. The English golfer returned to tie for second at the US Women’s Open, where she identified triggers like boredom during rounds. “I know my triggers now because I’ve been diagnosed with ADHD, quite severely,” the 3x LPGA Tour winner said when she returned to contention after diagnosis.

Through 2025, she continued managing ADHD through therapy and lifestyle changes, noting that off-course struggles affect her daily life more than on-course play. She struggles with routine changes like jet lag and travel, admitting nervousness driving to King Charles III’s state banquet at Windsor Castle in September 2025. ADHD also hinders Hull in team environments. She is forced to adapt to others’ routines instead of sticking to her personal routine that keeps symptoms at bay. Despite this, she excelled as Europe’s top scorer in the 2024 Solheim Cup with a 3-2-0 record.

Doctors prescribed anti-anxiety meds, but Hull quit after sensing dependency, then turned to vaping before switching to cigarettes for better control. She linked smoking to her “old school” family mindset of pushing through tough times without dwelling. “I’m pretty old school, like my family are. Ok cool, you’ve been through a bad time? Just move on, deal with it, deal with it, deal with it,” Charley Hull said.

That is why she was smoking at the 2024 Women’s U.S. Open while signing autographs. One may think that smoking on a golf course may have garnered criticism, but it was quite the opposite. This incident turned her into an unexpected cult hero, as fans liked her candid style. She smokes to calm her racing mind during the boredom of lengthy rounds.

While Charley Hull openly smoked because of ADHD, she once quit the habit, thanks to a £10,000 bet.

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Charley Hull’s bet to quit smoking

Charley Hull quit smoking cigarettes in March 2025 after making a high-stakes £10,000 bet with fellow English pro Ryan Evans. This was during a practice session at Sunningdale Golf Club. The 2025 Kroger Queen City Championship winner posted a series of photos on Instagram. The last in the carousel was a video where she handed over her last pack on camera. She vowed no cigarettes for two months, or she’d forfeit the cash.

The wager went viral on Hull’s Instagram, where Evans joked about monitoring her “around the clock.” By early May 2025 at the Black Desert Championship, she’d gone six weeks smoke-free. In fact, she called it “the easiest thing she’s done” and used nicotine patches for cravings. Updates in July confirmed she stayed clean, winning the bet. However, there’s no confirmation of whether she continues to stay clean or has started smoking again after winning the bet.

Charley Hull’s openness shows how deeply her symptoms shaped choices that puzzled many from the outside. Her recent push toward healthier habits suggests she’s determined to steady her life with methods that support both her mind and her game.