Charley Hull's homecoming

This week marks the latest chapter in Charley Hull’s long and special relationship with St Andrews.

There was a time not so long ago when her place at this week’s Championship seemed in doubt.

Last year’s runner-up sustained a freak shoulder injury in the shower last month, but she was in no mood to sour her fond memories of the home of golf with a luckless blank space.

She was just nine-years-old when she ventured to the world-famous links course for the first time and returned as a teenager to watch Tiger Woods grace the hallowed turf in 2010.

While playing the St Rule Trophy that same year, she stayed with Sir Michael Bonallack, one of Britain’s most decorated amateur golfers.

This will be the first AIG Women’s Open since Bonallack’s passing last year, just a stone’s throw from where his memorial service was held at Holy Trinity Church.

“I joined Woburn Golf Club when I was eight years old, and Michael’s daughter Glenna was secretary there,” explained Hull.

“She said I could stay with her mum and dad when I came up and Michael came out and watched me one really horribly, windy day when we played, and he was really impressed with my game.

“I stayed with them again for the 2013 Women’s Open. We used to always have dinner together and everything and it was great. They were lovely, lovely people.”

Hull may have missed the weekend’s action back in 2013 but she did receive a call-up to Liselotte Neumann’s Solheim Cup team at the end of the week, becoming the youngest person to ever play in the tournament at the age of 17.

For all the great stories she has to share, she feels she is yet to crack the course but has made small tweaks to help her in her bid for glory.

“I do find St Andrews a harder links for me, it just looks very open, so it's quite hard to pick a point in the distance,” she said.

“A couple of weeks ago, my coach got me working on doing a lot of three-quarter swings because my golf swing got a little bit too long.

“Now I kind of understand why he's got me working on the three-quarters because he's introduced me to get a low ball flight for these couple of weeks coming up for the links.

“I think you've just got to be patient out there.”

This week’s Championship will be Hull’s third tournament since her return from injury.

After a tough first-round 81 at Le Golf National, she fought back with three under-par rounds and continued her resurgence at last week’s Freed Group Women’s Scottish Open, finishing fifth.

Her preparations for her St Andrews homecoming might not have been ideal, but she is adamant that this can be her week.

“I think the first round of the Olympics was more just because of nerves,” she added.

“Coming back after five weeks off, I just got a little bit nervous. Then I was back to myself and carried it on last week.

“The shoulder gets a bit stiff when it gets cold so just try to keep it warm. Apart from that, I’m healthy and ready to go.

“It would be a special win. Something that you've always dreamed of as a baby, so it would be very special.”