Hall brings British Open trophy home
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 Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum in a gripping final-round duel at Royal Lytham in Lytham St. Annes, England, to win the Women’s British Open on Sunday for her first major title.
Hull tapped in for a bogey at the last hole to clinch a two-shot victory over Phatlum. 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 two-handicapper, was on the bag to experience the biggest moment of his daughter’s career. Georgia was born during the 1996 Masters won by Englishman Nick Faldo in Augusta, Ga. 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-par 67, which included six birdies, completed a 17-under 271 week.
“I was loving it deep down, hitting the shots under pressure,” Hall said. “To get six birdies in the final round of a major is not bad.”
Hall, who gets 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. Hall followed Stupples and Scotland’s Catriona Matthew — in 2009 at Lytham — as the only British winners of the Women’s British Open since it achieved major status in 2001.
Cheered on under blue skies by the large gallery desperate for a home winner, Hall, who’s ranked 39th, started the day a shot behind Phatlum, who led after the second and third rounds. From the moment Phatlum curled in a long left-toright putt at the second hole to answer Hall’s 15-foot birdie at the first, it had the makings of a duel in the Lytham sun.
Hall was chasing but was given hope when Phatlum bogeyed No. 8 to reduce her lead to one shot. Then, when Hall rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt at No. 13, they were tied for the first time since the first hole.
Hall took the outright lead for the first time in the tournament after a 20-foot putt for birdie at the 16th hole and went down the 18th with a three-shot lead after Phatlum, ranked No. 97 and also seeking her first major and LPGA title, missed a 2-foot putt to make double-bogey at No. 17. She finished with a 70.
Hall played safe in threeputting from distance in front of Royal Lytham’s storied clubhouse and celebrated her first win on the LPGA Tour.
“It is too good to be true,” Hall said. “It was my goal when I was 9 to win the British Open. I am so happy.”
World Golf Championships: Justin Thomas took all the drama out of the final WGCBridgestone Invitational, not letting anyone closer than two shots and closing with a 1-under 69 to win at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.
Playing in the final group with Rory McIlroy, the 25-yearold made only two birdies. That was all Thomas needed on a day when just about everyone was making mistakes.
McIlroy finished the back nine with consecutive bogeys and did not recover. Ian Poulter shot 74. Jason Day tried to make a run by making three straight birdies, only to play the final six holes in 5-over for a 73.
Tiger Woods, an eight-time winner at Firestone, started 11 shots behind and figured he would go out with a bang by playing aggressively. He turned in a dud, and a birdie on the 18th hole gave him another 73 to leave him 15 shots behind.
Briefly: Andrew Putnam won the Barracuda Championship for his first PGA Tour title, holding off Chad Campbell by four points in the modified Stableford scoring event in Reno . ... Kenny Perry won the PGA Tour Champions’ 3M Championship in Blaine, Minn., for the third time, closing with a 3-under 69 for a 21under 195 and a three-stroke victory over Wes Short Jr . ... Gaganjeet Bhullar shot a 6under 66 for a one-shot win over Anthony Quale in the European Tour’s Fiji International in Sigatoga. Bhullar finished at 14-under 274.