AIG Women’s Open 2024: Georgia Hall is hoping for bad weather as British golfers play better when it’s tougher
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‘I hope we don’t really have good weather… British golfers play better when it’s tougher!’ Georgia Hall can’t wait to play the AIG Women’s Open at the “special place” where she won the Smyth Salver as an amateur in 2013.
Georgia Hall propelled herself onto the global stage when she won the Smyth Salver at the 2013 Women’s Open alongside fellow amateur Lydia Ko. Five years later, she was a Major champion, after winning the Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2018. A final round 67 helped Hall to leapfrog Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum and claim victory by two strokes.
We caught up with her in St Andrews, where she talked about her love for the Old Course, how special it would be to win a second Women’s Open, and why she loves links golf.
How much are you looking forward to St Andrews?
It’s a very special place for me, and I love being here any time I can. I love the atmosphere at the Home of Golf and having the support of the home crowd, which we don’t get that much. Obviously, as a Brit, it’s the most important event of the year and always for me, but it’s extra special at St Andrews. It’s the one everyone wants to win a little bit more.
What is it about this place that gets to you?
The atmosphere around the town; it’s all golf and I love coming here whether there’s an event on or not. I want to try and have a place up here, that’s how much I enjoy it. There’s nothing quite like it. I’ve never seen ‘normal’ people just standing there watching golfers come in. As soon as I’m here I’m happier.
How much have you played the Old Course?
I played my first Women’s British Open here in 2013 when I was an amateur, and that’s the last time I played a professional tournament here. I obviously played the Champions with Tiger, those four holes in 2022, and I’ve played here in a couple of media days. But apart from that, it’ll be 11 years since my last professional event here.
Do you remember the first time you played it?
I was 16 and I played with Laura Davies. That was nerve-racking! I had my dad caddying again for that one. I played pretty well. Got the Silver Medal at the end of the week, so it’s a course I like.
Didn’t you leave the course, not realising you’d won the Silver Medal?
Yeah, I tied with Lydia, but they said she’d won on count back. I was on my way to the airport when someone called to say, “Sorry, we looked at the history and it’s not done on count back; you won as well!” Stacy Lewis won here in 2013, and I thought it would be such a good experience to go up there, just like Atthaya Thitikul did when she won the Smyth Salver the year I won. Unfortunately, I missed it – but I got the medal.
Any memories from 2013 you might bring with you?
I played really solid that week and I remember I putted really well. These greens are pure links greens, and I putt best on links greens in general. But I don’t get to play it a lot, so I’m actually really looking forward to putting on these types of greens that don’t have a lot of slope.
You have to hit it firmer to the hole, and you definitely have to imagine more shots, especially when the wind gets up. I hope we don’t really have good weather because it’s not really showing the golf course at its best. Like any kind of British Open, I think the weather should be slightly British. Hopefully we’ll have a bit of wind.
Would a Women’s Open win at St Andrews be the ultimate for you?
That’s the only thing that would beat my win from Royal Lytham. If I’d won the US Women’s Open this year, it wouldn’t have beaten my win at Lytham, but this would. I don’t know if I’ll ever get a chance to play in another one at St Andrews after this. I don’t know when it would come around again. But I’m not going to put pressure on myself. I’ll just prepare as well as I can and enjoy being here.
How do you feel, knowing that the young players in this field look up to you in the same way you did with Tiger Woods?
Old! I don’t know, I still feel young, but obviously I’m not a rookie anymore. This is my 11th British Open. It’s unbelievable. It’s gone very quickly. I hope that I can help other British players and help encourage the youngsters coming through, because I know sometimes we don’t have a huge number of us. There’s only five or six of us on the LPGA Tour now that are doing well.
I want to see as many British golfers as possible coming through. I think we are meant to be a little bit tougher than players from the majority of countries, because we have it harder. Fewer courses, fewer practice facilities, weather, wind… So when it’s tougher, I don’t think we’re affected as much. That’s why you see some of us come through a little bit more when the conditions are like that.
About the author
James Hogg – Golf Equipment Writer
James has a degree in English Language from Newcastle University and an MA in Journalism from Kingston University.
He spent seven years working for American Golf as part of the sales and fitting team alongside his studies and is a specialist in putters, golf balls, and apparel.
James took up golf as a teenager and, thanks largely to his length and consistency off the tee, he plays off a handicap of 4.7 at Cleveland Golf Club.
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Georgia Hall is looking forward to returning to the venue where she won the Smyth Salver in 2013
