Charley Hull punished by surprise Olympic rule as Team GB golf star drops to dead last on leaderboard
Charley Hull has endured a difficult opening round
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Charley Hull admitted before the first round at the Olympics on Thursday that being banned from smoking might affect her chances at a medal in Paris and she might not have been kidding.
The English golf star finished seventh in Rio four years ago and skipped the Tokyo Olympics due to the bubble restrictions and came into Paris hoping to improve.
She came close to winning the first major of her career last year with two second-placed finishes at the US Open and the British Open.
That saw Hull rise up the rankings as one of the best women golfers in the world and one of the most popular players on the LPGA Tour.
Charley Hull has endured a difficult opening round
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Part of that rise in popularity stemmed from a viral clip from this year's US Open of Hull smoking a cigarette while signing autographs and posing for photos.
Hull smoked throughout the tournament and admitted at the time that she took up smoking as a way to give up vaping.
“I wanted to stop vaping, and even though smoking is not better than vaping, it’s just you can vape indoors all the time," she said.
"I thought if I smoke, I’m going to go outside and smoke a cigarette.”
However, smoking restrictions are in place at the Olympics in Paris, meaning she has had to go without during the tournament.
When asked before the opening round whether it would affect her chances of winning a medal, she replied: “Yeah, I think it will.
“Because it relaxes me a little bit. But it is what it is.”
And that appeared to be the case in what ended up being a disastrous opening round for the 28-year-old.
Charley Hull went viral for smoking on the course at the US Open
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She began her tournament by hooking her tee shot into the water on the first hole before finishing with a double bogey.
Three more bogeys followed on the front nine before the turn and things failed to improve.
Hull finished with four more bogeys on the back nine to leave her dead last for the competition.
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Charley Hull was banned from smoking on the course at the Olympics
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The Golf National course in Paris was proving troublesome for plenty of players with just a few able to get under-par.
Home favourite Celine Boutier managed to get out in front as she moved to five-under par through 11 holes.
Hull will now need to do something similar on Friday to stand any chance of mounting an unlikely comeback.