Charley Hull looks comfortable and is making progress, says Henni Zuel

Sky Sports pundit Henni Zuel feels Charley Hull's game is showing signs of progress after an encouraging start to the ANA Inspiration.

Hull kicked off the opening major of the year by posting a two-under 70 during the first round, as she looks to build on two top-10 finishes during the early part of the LPGA Tour season. 

Dame Laura Davies suggested that Hull could do with resisting going for the big shots as often in her quest to reach the winner's circle, but Zuel believes the 20-year-old is already fine-tuning that part of her game.  

"I think she's learning how to manage her aggression, a little bit like Rory McIlroy who is quite similar and trying to manage that pin seeking all the time," Zuel said during Sky Sports' LPGA Tour coverage. "I think that settling into her game combined with a little bit of maturity on the golf course.

"When her aggressiveness does come off is when we see the fireworks from her and it's only when it doesn't where people say she's inconsistent.

"She changed coach about 18 months ago, which sometimes takes a little while to settle in, and she's been working a lot on her fitness and nutrition so is finding her feet a little bit.

"If Lydia Ko was a man there would be a lot more people who would sit up and take notice, as her records are simply phenomenal."

"You don't always get there straight away and although you sometimes get off to a fast start it can take a while to find your feet. She is certainly looking a lot more comfortable."

Hull mixed four birdies with two bogeys to sit three strokes off the early pace, with her opening-round 70 matched by world No 2 and 11-time PGA Tour winner Lydia Ko.

While Zuel feels there's still more to come from Hull during 2016, she also expects Ko to build on what has already been a fast start to her career.

"Hull definitely looked like she was playing within herself," Zuel added. "Her course management was good and she didn't make any of the silly errors that we tend to see from time to time.

"She looked to be playing more conservatively and hit some good approach shots to give herself some good chances."

"Lydia Ko is obviously the dream scenario, where you just hit the ground running and win regularly, but that's very rare. She really is incredible.

"If Ko was a man, there would be a lot more people who would sit up and take notice, as her records are simply phenomenal.

"If you take out the finish at the HSBC Women's, she hasn't finished outside of the top-five in a long time. At the end of last year you'd have wondered whether she could keep up with her high expectations, but the answer so far is yes.

"She already has two wins already in 2016 and this year is on course to be as good, if not better than last year. She's on track to be better than Tiger Woods at 23 when she's only 18, so her consistency is truly astounding." 

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