Olympics: LPGA stars Charley Hull and Georgia Hall offer fun glimpse of Paris

Charley Hull and Georgia Hall are best friends who grew up playing golf together and are both LPGA veterans.

This week, they teamed up for the LPGA Dow Championship, a multi-format stroke play team event at Midland Country Club in Midland, Michigan.

In the first and third rounds, the ladies will play in quartets or alternate shooting. For the second and final round, it will be four-ball or best ball, much like the Zurich Classic in New Orleans on the PGA Tour.

They have known each other since they were 11 and are celebrating 17 years of friendship. Hull calls Hall “George,” while the former AIG Women’s Open champion calls her best friend “Charles.”

“We now live three minutes from each other, and not a day goes by that we don’t talk,” Hall said.

The duo will also represent Team Great Britain at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Becoming an Olympian is a big deal and even more special for this duo because they can do it together.

“I just hang out with George because we like to play golf together,” Hull said. “This week is going to be a bit of a busy week, but it’s just nice to share it with your best friend, especially at a time like this.”

Although they will have many Olympic tasks to complete, the two plan to go shopping and enjoy the experience. Hall has never been to the City of Love, while Hull has only visited Paris once.

“You can share the experience with me the first time,” Hull said, smiling. “But honestly, I really want to go to Paris one day.”

“Yeah, let’s go shopping,” Hall said.

Shopping at the Olympics? Neither athlete is a big sports fan, but they each have a distinct event they want to watch. Hull wants to watch boxing, while Hall wants to check out gymnastics.

The best part was the compromise between the two so they could spend as much time together as possible.

“You’ll go to gymnastics, and I’ll go to boxing, and we’ll have to go to each other’s houses,” Hull said.

This week, their team name is Rose and Thorn because a good friend, Ryan Evans, gave it to them. They also have a walk-up song, “Best Friend,” by rapper Saweetie.

“Georgia says to him, ‘Describe me and Charley,’ and Ryan says, ‘Georgia, you’re like the pretty English rose, and Charley, you’re like the thorn.’ I’m like, ‘Oh, thanks, Ryan,'” Hull said.

Hall admitted it was hard, but she quickly made her best friend feel better.

“There are a lot of thorns around the rose, so you’re protecting me, aren’t you,” Hall said.

“Yeah, I protect her,” Hull replied with a cheeky smile.

Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images

This week in Michigan, they will leverage their relationships for success.

“I know when Charley is upset before she does, and she’s the same with me,” Hall said. “We know each other well and I think that’s very important. This type of event, we go and have fun.

“100 percent,” Hull interjected. “George knows me better than I know myself.”

The two are among 60 women who will compete in the Paris Olympics at Le Golf National, the site of the 2018 Ryder Cup.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is the golf staff editor for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.