Charley Hull Shoots Record 65 at Historic Riviera U.S. Open

Sometimes the best cure for a struggling golf game is a cousin with unrealistic expectations about California beaches.

British golfer Charley Hull fired a record-breaking 65 at Riviera Country Club during the U.S. Women's Open, setting the women's competitive course record at the historic venue. The seventh-ranked player in the world carded eight birdies in a stunning Saturday round that put her in contention for her first major championship.

What makes the achievement even sweeter? Riviera had never hosted a women's tournament before this week, meaning Hull's score could stand as the best women's round at the legendary course for years to come.

Hull started the day seven shots off the lead after barely making the cut. Her game felt off, and she admitted her confidence was shaky coming into the week.

But Friday night changed everything. Hull took her visiting cousin to Malibu, fulfilling what she called her cousin's "lifelong dream" to visit the famous beach city.

The cousin expected the glamorous world of the Barbie movie, complete with beautiful people carrying surfboards along pristine beaches. Reality proved hilariously different.

"She thought it was gonna be this amazing place, like the 'Barbie' movie," Hull told reporters with a laugh. "She's like, 'My lifelong dream's been crushed.' She's devastated."

Why This Inspires

Hull's story is a reminder that sometimes we need to get out of our own heads. She'd been watching late-night swing videos, analyzing every detail, and confusing herself with too much information.

The Malibu disaster became the perfect distraction. Hull laughed so hard she said she was "wetting myself the whole night, honestly."

The next day, she played freely and confidently. "I just went at everything today and just thought, 'F--k it,'" she explained with her trademark unfiltered honesty.

Her approach worked brilliantly. While teen amateur Asterisk Talley had set a new record earlier in the day with a 66, Hull bettered it just an hour later.

Hull said she prefers chasing the lead rather than protecting it. "I can then be free and just play golf how I wanna play golf," she explained.

After her record-breaking round, Hull had simple Saturday night plans: Mexican food, an ice bath, and red-light sauna therapy. Most importantly, she promised herself no swing videos.

Sometimes the path to greatness runs straight through a disappointing beach town and a cousin's crushed dreams.