In a rich vein of form, and with another shot at repeating her greatest golfing achievement to date just around the corner, little wonder Georgia Hall “feels right at home” in Spain this week.
The Englishwoman, the 2018 Women’s British Open champion, is one of 36 captains leading four-player sides at the Aramco Team Series – Sotogrande in southern Spain, which tees off at La Reserva Club on Thursday.
The second of four stops in this new Golf Saudi-backed event, Hall excelled eventually in the kick-start tournament in London early last month. After an indifferent first two rounds – the events are played across 54 holes and three days, with each team comprising three professionals and an amateur – Hall’s group rallied to come home sixth. In the individual contest, which runs alongside the team event, Hall finished fourth.
It fitted nicely, then, with where the world No 43 finds her game. Hall began 2021 with a strong tied-11th among illustrious company at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions in the United States, but for some time struggled largely to again find her groove.
However, a tied-6th in Michigan on the LPGA Tour in June has evidently sparked a bit of belief, with Hall performing well at the Aramco event in London, then registering a tied-6th at the Evian Championship, the penultimate of the five majors in the ladies game. On Sunday, she was tied-14th at the ISPS Handa World Invitational in Northern Ireland.
So, with the Women’s Open to come in two weeks’ time, it’s simply a case of continue on this upward trajectory.
“A three-day event is always nice for me individually,” Hall said on Wednesday at La Reserva. “I’ve been playing well recently, so every week just trying to give me more and more confidence for the major coming up, the British Open."
Predictably, she gleaned much confidence from the Evian.
“A lot," Hall said. "This European run is my favourite time of the year. I love it so much - it feels like I’m at home even if I’m in Spain for example. So I don’t really want the events to end in a way, because I’m in America so much it’s really nice to be here.”
This week’s format helps keep the good vibes coming, too. Not to mention the $1 million prize fund on offer.
“It’s very interesting, a fun way to play,” Hall said. “There’s a bit less pressure, and it’s great for the fans and people to come and watch because it’s something different.
“[The series] is a massive boost [to the Ladies European Tour]. It’s great for all the girls on the LET to have this prize fund to play for as well. And also the venues are fantastic – everyone we’ve been to has been great so far.
“And they run the event extremely well, one of the best I’ve seen on the LET. So hopefully this will continue for years to come and keep getting better and better.”