Dame Laura Davies praises Georgia Hall for maiden major victory
Monday 6 August 2018 12:02, UK
Dame Laura Davies believes Georgia Hall can inspire future golfing champions after the 22-year-old claimed a maiden major title at the Ricoh Women's British Open.
Hall fired a five-under 67 to come through a final-round tussle with overnight leader Pornanong Phatlum and claim a two-stroke win at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
Victory sees Hall become just the fifth British women's major winner and Davies, a four-time major champion, was full of praise for the Englishwoman's success.
"All that's coming to her is richly deserved," Davies told Sky Sports. "She was fantastic. She struggled in the third round and obviously decided overnight that she never wanted to play like that again when in this position.
"That would have rocked a lot of people on Saturday the way she played, but the way she finished to shoot 69 was probably the round that won it for her.
"You know there are lots of little boys and girls watching the final round on TV and they've seen a young girl, at the top of her game, winning something quite sensational.
"Hopefully they're going to say to their parents that they want a set of golf clubs and who knows, she might end up inspiring the next British women's major champion.
"You feel sorry for Phatlum for finishing like she did, because she deserved better, but to be fair it's the British Open and we got a British champion.
Ladies European Tour Golf
"Georgia's progression is meteoric really. The Solheim Cup last year and her third-place finish at the British Open was one thing, but this is another level now.
"She had a bit of a rocky start on the LPGA Tour, but then she started making cuts on a regular basis, then top-10s and is now a major champion.
"She can draw on this for years to come. There will be times where she's not going well and she can think "wait a minute; I did it in the ultimate pressure on my home turf and in front of huge galleries. That's going to stand her in really good stead."
