For Hannah Green, this week’s AIG Women’s Open at Royal Troon Golf Club represents something of a home game… in a roundabout sort of way.
“My mum’s side of the family is from Scotland,” explains the Perth-based world No.20. “They are up in Fraserburgh, which is about 45 minutes north of Aberdeen. My first actual trip to Scotland was in 2018, so not that long ago. I was then fortunate enough last year that I got to play St Andrews, but I had not actually been to this side of Scotland. I’m really excited to be here. I feel like I do have somewhat of an idea of links golf. I’m from Perth where it does get windy, but probably not the same scene as Troon.”
Meanwhile, England’s Georgia Hall hopes to feed off her love of links golf and passion for the Women’s Open as she goes in search of a second Major title at Royal Troon this week. The 24-year-old is enjoying the buzz of the first women’s Major championship of the year, an event Hall memorably won in 2018 at Royal Lytham & St Annes. Given Royal Troon is set to present similar links challenges, Hall is relishing the task as a star-studded international field prepares to compete from Thursday.
With the AIG Women’s Open being played safely without spectators due to COVID-19, Hall said, “It’s lovely coming to an event knowing that you’ve won it and done the job in a Women’s Open, my home kind of event. I look forward to this more than any other throughout the year.
“It’s always very special to see all the massive boards everywhere and it definitely feels like a Major.”
The R&A Women and Girls’ Golf ambassador added; “I think it’s an amazing venue at Royal Troon. I love links golf. I only bring the 3-iron out once a year, and this is the week, so I can’t wait. I’ve heard it’s going to be windy, so it’s going to play extremely tough.”
While fellow Englishwoman Charley Hull is more familiar with parkland courses, the 24-year-old has experience of Royal Troon having played it in her early teens as an amateur in the Helen Holm Scottish Open Stroke Play Championship.
“I’m feeling good,” said Hull, who has posted five top-10s in Majors. “I played Royal St George’s in the Rose Ladies Series about a month ago and that kind of got me in some links golf.
“The golf course is in great condition. The greens are rolling really nicely. I like it because it doesn’t look that long on the scorecard, but it has a lot of lay-up holes that leave longer irons into the greens. I quite like that because I’m a strong long iron player.”
With Royal Troon hosting the Women’s Open for the first time, Hull is especially looking forward to the challenge of the ‘Postage Stamp’, the short 8th, at 104 metres.
“It’s only a wedge, it depends on the wind direction, so it’s a good birdie hole I think,” she said. “There’s a lot more tricky holes out there, but it’s a cool little hole.”
The staging of the AIG Women’s Open continues a rich history at Royal Troon, having hosted The Open on nine occasions. It has also hosted events such as the Senior Open Championship, the Amateur Championship and the Women’s Amateur Championship.
Dame Laura Davies, making her 40th appearance in the championship, will have the honour of striking the opening tee shot on Thursday morning at 6:30.
