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English golf star Charley Hull might have thought she nailed a prank on her longtime caddie, Adam Woodward — but according to many fans on social media, it was more of a swing and a miss.
The three-time LPGA winner is facing widespread criticism after revealing during a Wednesday news conference that she tricked Woodward into believing he’d won £100,000 ($188,300 Cdn) on a fake lottery card.
Woodward was “literally running around the players’ lounge saying ‘I’ve won $100,000, I’m taking today off,'” Hull told reporters ahead of the AIG Women’s Open, recounting the moment after he’d scratched the novelty card that she had purchased from a joke shop in Blackpool.
“His face looked so happy, he was sweating, he was trembling, he couldn’t believe his luck. And then we had to tell him it was fake, and he nearly quit the job.”
Hull, 30, ended the story with a chuckle and this week also posted video of the prank on X with the caption: “Sorry Adam, looks like you’re still on the bag this week!”
Woodward has not commented publicly, but the online feedback from others was overwhelmingly negative.
“This isn’t funny, it’s mean,” wrote one X user. “Hope he finds a new bag to carry and that you never win again. Imagine taking pleasure [in] destroying someone’s hope just because they’re poorer than you.”
Another user wrote: “You’ve won almost $10m in your career … I hope there’s a follow up where you cut him a cheque for $100k? Or are you just sociopathic and proud?”
(According to this sports database, Hull’s career tournament prize earnings actually total about $12.9 million US.)
Others came to Hull’s defence, arguing that it was a harmless joke between a player and the caddie she’s worked alongside since 2015.
“We don’t know the dynamic of their relationship and [may] prank each other all the time,” wrote one X user. “I don’t know but I can’t see Charley being a mean spirited person! Just sayin!!”
The backlash comes as Hull prepares to take another stab at winning her first career major at the AIG Women’s Open. The winner will take home $1.5 million US of a record $10 million US total prize purse.
