It all started with a bold declaration and a handshake to seal the deal. LPGA pro Charley Hull took to social media earlier this year with a striking message: “Today, I’ve made the decision that I’m going to stop smoking. If I pick up a cigarette in the next two months, I’ll give you 10 grand, and I’m shaking on that. Deal.” And it wasn’t just a casual attempt to quit a habit. Hull turned it into a public, high-stakes commitment, putting $10,000 on the line as motivation that she would offer to her friend, English pro Ryan Evans, if she smoked within the next two months from March. But did Evans earn the $10 K, or was Hull successful in her commitment?

Charley Hull is completely done

More than two months have passed, and now Hull has delivered the long-awaited update, and it’s one her fans were hoping for. Appearing on a recent podcast, the Icons by Motiversity, the 29-year-old opened up about her progress and mindset. Hull spoke of her ups and downs of competing at a high level, and discussed how her fitness and training at the gym help her stay afloat. It was then that host Tyler Waye was reminded of her bet, and curiously asked her, “And you uh, I heard you made a bet about smoking. Are you winning the bet?”

And Hull was quick with her response. “Yeah, easy. It was… uh, I’m pretty strong-minded. When I’m done with something, I’m completely done,” Hull shared candidly. “So, um yeah, I’ve not smoked in like 5 weeks and won’t smoke again,” Hull added with a tone that was confident and grounded in a sense of certainty that only someone fully committed to change could convey. Hull admitted that setting the two-month window was strategic. “I said two months because at the end of the day, you can’t promise what you’re going to do for the rest of your life,” she explained.

“It’s a long (hopefully) life that I’m going to live. But if you get over two months, then you’re not really… then it’s realistically you’re not really going to smoke. You’re not going to break that habit. Um, so yeah, I feel good,” Hull said, making it seem like she had thought of the bet well before, and it was not an impulsive move on her end. Her logic with setting the time frame reflects a grounded approach to habit-breaking, focusing on achievable, short-term goals to cement long-term change. Even on the eve of the inaugural Black Desert Championship in Utah in May, Hull confessed, “I think it’s the easiest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” when asked about her quitting smoking.

Hull is now ready to tee it up at the Women’s Scottish Open next week, after her collapse at the Evian Championship that forced her to withdraw. With more than two months of being smoke-free and her $10,000 still safely in her bank account, Hull is proving that mental toughness off the course can be just as powerful as it is during tournament play. But the story didn’t begin with a social media pledge or a podcast confession — it started when Hull was unexpectedly spotted smoking during a tournament, sparking a wave of criticism and concern that ultimately pushed her to confront the habit head-on.

The Moment Charley Hull Was First Seen Smoking

The moment Charley Hull was first seen smoking publicly came during the 2024 U.S. Open, in what was meant to be a routine interaction with fans. While signing autographs near the gallery ropes, cameras captured Hull casually holding a cigarette between her lips — an image that quickly made its way across social media. Within hours, the photo had gone viral, drawing mixed reactions from fans and commentators who were shocked to see a top-level athlete engaging in a habit so widely known for its health risks.

“The attention I’ve received is a little surreal,” Hull told the Guardian last year during the U.S. Open. The viral image sparked intense discussion online and in the media, shifting attention away from Hull’s performance and onto her personal choices. For Hull, who had never made a public statement about smoking before, the moment was both exposing and eye-opening. The habit wasn’t a secret to those close to her, as it is something she has seen her father do as she grew up. Ironically, she would curse at him whenever he smoked. But seeing the widespread reaction after her viral picture pushed her to reassess things, and it became the unexpected turning point that ultimately led to her bold $10,000 pledge to quit.