During an interview with OutKick on Thursday, LPGA star Charley Hull, the world’s eighth‑ranked female golfer, addressed the backlash surrounding actress Sydney Sweeney’s recent commercial for the prediction‑market platform Novig. Hull, who is promoting the upcoming on!vitational indoor golf tournament scheduled for Oct. 16‑17 at the SoFi Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, said she does not understand why fellow athletes are reacting so strongly.
Hull calls the criticism “overblown”
“The amount of backlash that it is getting, I just don’t understand the way people’s brains work,” Hull said. She described the ad as a simple actress‑model endorsement and noted that Sweeney reportedly holds an equity stake in Novig, but that does not make the promotion a threat to women’s sports.
Hull added, “They’re making a big deal out of nothing. It’s an actress slash model modeling for an advert. And I think she owns the company as well.” She emphasized that the majority of Novig’s audience is likely male, saying, “Probably 80% of the audience of that company would be males anyway, who do betting or whatever it is. So I think it’s a great idea. I don’t understand how it’s turning back women’s sports because it’s not.”
Comments on Sweeney’s appearance
When asked about Sweeney’s appearance in the ad, Hull responded, “She’s got a great figure, she’s got sex appeal. I don’t think there’s something wrong with it. She’s just a pretty girl. People are making a big hoo‑hah over absolutely nothing.” The LPGA player made it clear she would not be silenced by the criticism.
Promoting the on!vitational
Hull also used the interview to promote the on!vitational, describing it as a fresh way to attract new fans to golf. “I just feel like it’s a good opportunity to, you know, grow the game of golf in a different kind of way rather than being an old‑man sport. I think this is kind of like a young, kind of cool vibe,” she said.
She noted that the event will feature a relaxed indoor setting, allowing players to compete in a novel environment. Hull, who has switched from cigarettes to nicotine pouches during the LPGA season, mentioned looking forward to trying the new mango, pineapple, and blueberry flavors.
Dreaming of a John Daly appearance
When asked about potential celebrity guests, Hull expressed enthusiasm about former PGA Tour winner John Daly. “I really would love to play golf with him and I think the on!vitational would be something that he’d enjoy because it’s a fun event. He seems like a proper legend,” she said.
Hull’s comments reflect a broader conversation about how athletes and entertainers intersect in modern marketing, and she positioned herself as a voice urging fans to focus on the sport itself rather than peripheral controversies.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
