Defending champion Georgia Hall began the AIG Women’s British Open with a flawless three-under-par 69 and is just four strokes behind the leader, South African Ashleigh Buhai, after an afternoon of perfect scoring conditions on the opening day at Woburn Golf Club.
Hall birdied the second, the seventh and the 12th holes on the Marquess’ Course, playing in front of a large gallery, which was three rows deep.
The 23-year-old from Bournemouth thrived with the support – and under the immense pressure – driving the ball increasing distances and making solid putting strokes as she grew in confidence.
On the seventh, she rolled in a 10-footer breaking left to right for birdie and after two more gains, she made an important par save on the short 17th from 15 feet after hitting her tee shot short of the green.
After completing her round, she graciously thanked the crowd and said: “I walked to the first tee and I got so much applause from everybody, it was so nice to be there, and I was actually quite nervous, so I was relieved to hit the fairway.
“It’s already the highlight of my year. I haven’t had this much support since this time last year, and I think that most of the people out there were out there to support me. It’s just an amazing feeling.
“I couldn’t believe the amount of crowds out there. It was like a final round amount. This is my home event, and I love defending and I love the home crowd. I really felt quite relaxed, especially on the back nine, and look forward to the rest of the week.”
