LET’s Noja Passes Test As Teen

German teen Chiara Noja defeats Charley Hull in two-hole playoff to secure maiden LET victory in Jeddah. Photo: Peter Van der Klooster, Getty Images

Chiara Noja, the 16-year-old Berlin-born schoolgirl who defeated the 26-year-old Charley Hull on the second extra hole in the individual event at the recent Aramco Team Series Jeddah, is a grand prospect and the pride of Dubai where she has been based for the past couple of years.

Six-footers of Noja’s age are often a little coltish or, to put it another way, all over the place. This teenager, though, has a swing which is all three of free, easy and under control. With drives of 288.8 yards, she has shot to the top of the driving-distance stats on the Ladies European Tour.

So much about Noja reminds people of Hull at her age. Golf apart, she is impressively articulate. For instance, when Noja was 14 and at one point the owner of a plus-7.5 handicap, she was doing as Hull would have done in hold...