Former AIG Women’s Open champion Karen Stupples has “no doubt” Charley Hull will end her wait for an elusive major title and would relish a “dream” rivalry between the Englishwoman and Nelly Korda.
Hull narrowly missed out on becoming the first Englishwoman to win a major since 2018 during the US Women’s Open, where she finished tied-second alongside Gaby Lopez as Korda claimed a one-shot victory at Riviera Country Club.
Korda’s back-to-back major titles extended her advantage as world No 1 and continued her dominant start to the 2026 season, while Hull was left settling for a fifth runner-up finish of her major career.
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Nelly Korda gave an emotional interview after winning the US Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club
Hull admitted it was “frustrating” to fall short again, just as she did during the 2023 edition, although Stupples – one of just four Englishwomen to win a major – has full faith in the 30-year-old to eventually claim a major victory.
“There is not a single doubt in my mind that she is going to win a major,” former major champion Karen Stupples told the Sky Sports Golf podcast. “It may be the case that she ends up winning at Royal Lytham this year because of this experience that she’s had here.
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“I remember last time when the US Women’s Open was in California, it was at Pebble Beach. She came so close there at Pebble Beach, then she went on to Walton Heath and she played really well at Walton Heath.
“She’s going to keep putting herself in these positions and ultimately something has to stick. If you keep putting yourself in this spot, eventually you’re going to win – that’s where I think she is.
“I mean, her game is so well suited for the majors. I think now with her short game, with her putting, with the work she’s been doing, I think it’s just tremendous. I think it’s those little bits that she’s doing with the short game that are really going to push her to that next level.”
How Hull’s style can lead to major success
Hull was seven strokes off the halfway lead and outside the top 40 after rounds of 73 and 72 over the first two days at Riviera Country Club, only to charge back into contention with a third-round 65 – the lowest of her major career – on Saturday.
She eagled the par-five first hole during her final round and added five birdies, briefly moving to the solo lead after picking up a shot at the 11th, although stuttered once top of the leaderboard and ended one back after a four-under 67.
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Charley Hull holed a 12-foot birdie at the par-five first to make a dream start to the final round
“She [Hull] does say that she likes to chase but she thoroughly enjoys that heat of the battle, being in contention and competing to win,” Stupples added. “She is doing everything she can to win.
“Over here in America, they have a saying: ‘the prevent defense’, which is when American football teams have a good lead and then they try to prevent the other team from scoring, as opposed to just playing their game and trying to score more.
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Charley Hull holed a 12-foot birdie at the par-five first to make a dream start to the final round
“Prevent defense never works and it always drives me nuts when my teams try and play that way. I think it’s the same with Charlie on the golf course. She can’t play defensively – that’s not who she is and how she plays golf.
“Ultimately when you’re playing, you have to be true to you and to your golf DNA and who you are on the golf course, because it doesn’t work if you’re anything else. I understand why she did [stay aggressive] and I think that it will eventually lead to wins.”
Charley Hull also finished second at the 2016 Chevron Championship, 2023 US Women’s Open, 2023 AIG Women’s Open and 2025 AIG Women’s Open
Can Hull challenge Korda and form new golfing rivalry?
Korda’s victory followed April’s Chevron Championship success and sees her become the first player since Inbee Park in 2013 to win the first two majors of the calendar year, while Hull’s runner-up finish lifts her to fourth in the latest world rankings.
Both will be among the favourites for the final three majors of the year ahead of their appearances on opposing sides at the Solheim Cup this September, also live on Sky Sports, with Stupples relishing the idea of the two fan favourites going head-to-head in the months and years ahead.
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Watch the moment Nelly Korda won a fourth major championship, clinching victory in dramatic fashion after nearly missing the putt!
“That would be a dream,” Stupples said. “If you’re the LPGA commissioner, you’re thinking ‘yes, let’s bring on that rivalry!’ I think both add so much to the women’s game in different ways.
“Charley is all personality and Nelly seems so stoic on the course. I think that this could be a really good battle moving forward and I’m thinking of Solheim Cup as well coming up later this year.
“I think this is something that can be teased out through the course of the rest of the year and for the rest of their playing careers. What we need is Charley to get over the finish line a couple more times to make it a proper, true rivalry. Right now, Nelly’s just got the edge on things.”
Sky Sports continues to be the home of the women’s majors, with all five exclusively live across the 2026 season along with LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour action. Get Sky Sports or stream golf with no contract.
