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The week clearly began on a lighter note for the Kettering pro, but she is deadly serious about the challenge ahead.<\/p>\n
Were Hull to go one better than her five major runners-up finishes, she would continue a remarkable storyline of British success in this event when staged here at Royal Lytham and St Annes.<\/p>\n
Scotland’s Catriona Matthew was champion in 2009 and nine years later England’s Georgia Hall triumphed over the famed Lancashire links.<\/p>\n
Hull and world number five Lottie Woad are among the favourites for this, the last of the year’s five majors. Unlike Blackpool’s lottery tickets, the hope of maintaining Lytham’s habit of identifying UK champions is real.<\/p>\n
“Frustrating, very frustrating,” Hull says of her major career to date. “I feel like people can add a bit of pressure on you sometimes as well because I am human at the end of the day.”<\/p>\n
World number one Nelly Korda held off Hull’s charge at June’s US Open for what proved yet another near-miss in the tournaments that matter most.<\/p>\n
Although she ultimately came up short at Riviera, the British star did hole putts on the closing holes that might have been enough for victory. They showed she has what it takes to win a major.<\/p>\n
“If you look at the putt on 17 I had to hole and then on 18,” she recalled. “And on that 18th hole, I hit a lovely, lovely, shot into the green. It was a pitching wedge that went over 175 yards.<\/p>\n
“It was such a good shot in, and then the chip, and then I holed the putt, so I have got grit. It was just Nelly played well that week.”<\/p>\n
A year ago Hull shot a three-under-par final round at Royal Porthcawl to finish in a share of second place, two shots behind Miyu Yamshita.<\/p>\n
The pain of that defeat became acute this week when Hull saw the posters depicting past champions on her way to Lytham.<\/p>\n
“It’d just be great to think that one day when I do, if I do win the major, I will be able to sleep at night,” Hull said.<\/p>\n
The world number seven won the Saudi Ladies International early in the year, but admits the rest of her season has been a mixed bag. Her share of second place at the US Open is the highlight to date.<\/p>\n
Hull has battled injury niggles and admits this week will be a tough mental test despite expected fervent home support.<\/p>\n
“You feel like you let everyone down if you don’t quite play well,” she said.<\/p>\n
“But at the end of the day, it’s just life. You’re not going to die if you hit a bad shot. I just go out there and have fun.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n