Englishwoman Hall earns 1st major
Overtakes Thai star with father on bag
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England — Named in honor of a famous Masters victory, Georgia Hall has her hands on one of the big trophies in women’s golf at the age of 22.
The Englishwoman reeled in longtime leader Pornanong Phatlum in a gripping final-round duel Sunday at Royal Lytham to win the Women’s British Open for her first major title.
Hall tapped in for a bogey — her first of the day — at the final hole to clinch a two-shot victory over Pornanong. Hall then hugged her playing partner from Thailand before being lifted off her feet by her caddie, father Wayne.
It was fitting that Wayne, a former 2-handicapper himself, was on the bag to experience the biggest moment of his daughter’s career.
Georgia was born in 1996 when the Masters was won by English golfer Nick Faldo at Augusta. She was named in honor of that victory, which came after Faldo overcame a six-stroke deficit to Greg Norman in the final round.
Twenty-two years later, Hall is the pride of English golf just like Faldo was. And the way Hall kept her composure and kept producing the shots of her life down the stretch, there might be more major titles to come.
Her round of 5-under 67, which included six birdies, saw her finish at 17-under 271.
“I was loving it deep down, hitting the shots under pressure,” said Hall, who barely showed any emotions all round. “To get six birdies in the final round of a major is not bad.”
Hall, who receives a check of $490,000, became the first English major winner since Karen Stupples won this event in 2004, and the fourth overall along with Laura Davies and Alison Nicholas.
She followed Stupples and Catriona Matthew — in 2009 at Lytham — as the only British winners of the Women’s British Open since it achieved major status in 2001.
Roared on under blue skies by the large gallery desperate for a home winner, 39th-ranked Hall started the day a shot behind Pornanong, who led after the second and third rounds.
From the moment Pornanong curled in a long left-to-right putt at the second hole to answer Hall’s 15foot birdie at the first, it had the makings of a duel in the Lytham sun.