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Charley Hull back in the mix with a 66

By WTOP Staff

DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer

SOUTHPORT, England (AP) — English teen Charley Hull finished the second round at the Women’s British Open with a double bogey that left her 11 shots out of the lead, but not out of hope.

She followed with one of her best rounds ever and now has a shot at becoming the youngest female to win a major.

Hull, the 18-year-old who rose to fame last year as the youngest player in the Solheim Cup, made birdie on half of her holes Saturday for a 6-under 66 at Royal Birkdale, the best score of the tournament and enough for her to dream of winning a major.

She started in a tie for 51st. When the third round ended, Hull was tied for seventh, only three shots behind Inbee Park.

Picking a highlight was easy — a tee shot into the 18th fairway.

The previous two days, Hull had hit her tee shot some 60 yards out-of-bounds to the right. She thought about a 3-wood until her caddie suggested driver and Hull decided to just rip down the left side with a fade. That ultimately set up a simple up-and-down for birdie, putting her at 1-under 215.

Hull felt she had a chance even after her finish Friday — a tee shot out-of-bounds, another shot that stayed in bounds by a few inches, a penalty drop, chopping out of hay to the fairway and escaping with a double bogey by making a 7-foot putt. She called it the best 7 she has ever made.

“I said to my dad last night, ‘I’m not out of this championship,'” Hull said. “I think someone was 10 shots behind off the lead.”

That would be Paul Lawrie at Carnoustie in 1999, when Hull was 3.

“And that was in the final round, wasn’t it?” she said. “I said to my dad, ‘I can still win it if I have a good day tomorrow.’ If the wind gets up tomorrow, even par could win it. Just thought I’d go out there and play well. You know, 66 is nice.”

It’s not her lowest round, and in her mind, not her best. Hull shot a 9-under 62 to win her first Ladies European Tour title in March. And she had a 66 in the third round of the LPGA’s first major of the year at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Considering the course — Royal Birkdale, tougher than ever because of such thick grass in the dunes — this won’t be forgotten soon, especially because Hull opened with two bogeys from the rough. She answered with four birdies in five holes, firing at the flag even as her caddie suggested a conservative play.

Hull was going along so well that, faced with an 18-foot birdie on the par-5 17th for her fourth straight birdie, she gunned it 5 feet by the hole and missed the par putt.

Even so, she was in much better shape than when she started. And it was even more meaningful to do it at a Women’s British Open in England, especially having recently signed a sponsorship deal with Ricoh, with the brand on her visor.

“Especially being in front of the home crowd,” he said. “I felt like I had a bit of pressure on me coming into the beginning of this week — with Ricoh, people are expecting a lot of me — and I feel like I kind of stepped up there today and really proved myself.”

It’s not the first time she has done that.

At the Solheim Cup, she beat Paula Creamer, 5 and 4. On Saturday, she played with Kraft Nabisco winner Lexi Thompson and beat her by 12 shots.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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