LONDON: England’s Georgia Hall was born during the 1996 Masters and she produced a Nick Faldo-like performance to win the Ricoh Women’s British Open in Lancashire on Sunday. Hall was named Georgia in honour of the American state that hosts the Masters, which Faldo won two days after she was born, with a famous final-round 67 that mowed down Greg Norman. Hall also shot five-under-par 67 on Sunday, playing with the type of relentless consistency for which Faldo was famous and beating Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum by two strokes. Buoyed up by a supportive overnight text from Tom Lehman, who won the 1996 British Open at Lytham, Hall finished at 17-under 271, becoming the second English player to win the championship after Karen Stupples in 2004. “I always joked to myself, because I haven’t won a tournament since I turned pro, that the first one I win would be a major. I used to say that and I’ve actually done it now,” Hall told reporters. “I don’t know what it is, but it is more enjoyable and fun the bigger the competition is. “I was very confident going into this event from last year (equal third) and I love links golf and I’m playing in England, which is very rare.” Hall joined Laura Davies, who won four, Alison Nicholas and Stupples as women’s major winners from England. She became the first English player of either sex to win a major at Royal Lytham since Tony Jacklin won the 1969 British Open. Published in Daily Times, August 7th 2018.