Women’s Open return months after becoming mother caps special year for Hall
Georgia Hall during a press conference ahead of the AIG Women's Open 2026 at Royal Lytham & St Annes. Picture: Peter Byrne/PA
Georgia Hall admits returning to Royal Lytham and St Annes for the AIG Women’s Open has made a special year even more memorable after becoming a mother.
The 30-year-old gave birth to her son, Conor, in February and was back hitting balls just six weeks later, with the overriding aim being to play in the final major of the year.
Hall won her only major title the last time the Women’s Open was played on the Lancashire links in 2018 and she did not want to miss the chance to return to the scene of her greatest triumph.
Hall is engaged to Conor's father Paul Dunne, from Bray, who led the 2015 Open at St Andrews as an amateur and beat Rory McIlroy to the 2017 British Masters title.
“I didn’t want to miss this event wherever it was, but especially at Lytham,” Hall said at a press conference.
“I didn’t know whether it would come back here before I retired, so this was 100% the aim.
“I first picked up a club six weeks after giving birth. I was really excited because I didn’t know how I was going to hit it and thought I might top it or something, but I actually hit it pretty well.
“I was pleasantly surprised. I left thinking, ‘OK, let’s see if I can get back to Lytham’.
“It was really cool to drive in on Monday and it gave me goosebumps. It was so nice to be back here.”
Hall has also drawn inspiration from Catriona Matthew, who won at Lytham in 2009 three months after giving birth herself.
“I just spoke to her and said, ‘I really don’t know how you did it’,” said Hall, who will play her opening two rounds alongside Japan’s Hinako Shibuno and French amateur Valentine Delon.
“It’s amazing. She’s such a role model to look up to and gives great advice.”
This year’s four majors have been shared between world number one Nelly Korda, winner of the Chevron Championship and US Women’s Open, and Ryu Hae-ran, victor at the Women’s PGA Championship and the Evian Championship.
Korda now has four major titles to her name and there will be much expectation as she bids to round off a fine year by winning one of the titles that still eludes her.
The American said: “Just because you’re playing well doesn’t mean you’re invincible and you’re going to make every cut and be in the top 10 every single week.
“There will be weeks when you just don’t have it. That’s the reality of it. It’s about the bounce-back.
“With it being the fifth major and coming off a lot of condensed majors in a packed schedule, you’re a little bit more on edge because you’ve been in these high-pressure moments throughout the middle part of the year.
“I feel like I’m a little more tired, so the bad bounces get to me mentally. If I’m giving everything to my craft and my body, at the end of the day the bounces are out of my hands.
“What the other girls do, I can’t control that. I’m here to focus on myself and do the best job that I possibly can.”
Three Irish players have qualified for the Women's Open.
Leona Maguire, 31, will be hoping to build on a top 10 finish at the Scottish Open last week when she opens her campaign alongside Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand and Youmin Hwang of South Korea at 2.04pm. Maguire is ranked 79th in the world at present, and a good week could see her make a late bid for the European team at September's Solheim Cup in the Netherlands.
Anna Foster, who qualified after a playoff in Final Qualifying on Monday, is out at 10.48am with Pia Babnik of Slovenia and Bel Wardle of England.
Lauren Walsh is in the following group at 11.14am with Jing Yan of the USA and Agathe Laisne of France.
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