{
  "id": 17128726,
  "title": "Charley Hull Opens Up About Personal Life and Her Viral Moment",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/29/charley-hull-opens-up-about-personal-life-and-her-viral-moment",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-10-29T21:41:35.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Yahoo Sports",
    "slug": "yahoo-sports",
    "url": "https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/charley-hull-opens-personal-life-214135070.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Charley Hull, a highly successful professional golfer, has spoken openly about her personal life and a viral moment that significantly impacted her popularity. According to the Women’s Golf Journal, Hull’s career prize money exceeds $11.5 million, placing her among the most successful players on the LPGA Tour. She turned professional at 16 and won Rookie of the Year in 2013, amassing nine tournament wins and major finishes. Hull’s income comes from professional wins, major finishes, and lucrative endorsement deals with brands like TaylorMade Golf, Rockstar Energy, and Malbon Golf. Hull has been candid about her struggles with ADHD and past substance use issues, revealing to Heavy Sports that she battled with Xanax addiction and later vaping and smoking cigarettes. After a moment of clarity, she quit smoking entirely after a friend challenged her to stop, leading her to use nicotine pouches for support. A viral video of Hull smoking on the golf course, initially thought to be detrimental, instead skyrocketed her popularity. Friends Nelly Korda and Megan Khang informed her she had gone viral for her smoking habit, and she later discovered her Instagram followers had surged to 200,000. This newfound prominence caught Hull off guard but proved beneficial, as her bold style has since helped her stand out and secure a 2024 apparel deal with Malbon Golf.",
  "summary": "See how Charley Hull built an $11.5 million career through nine wins and smart sponsorships. Learn about her personal struggles and rise to fame.",
  "key_points": [
    "Hull is a top-ranked LPGA Tour golfer with $11.5M+ career earnings.",
    "She battled Xanax addiction and nicotine vaping/smoking issues.",
    "Viral video of her smoking boosted her Instagram following to 200k."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}