Georgia Hall is to play in next month’s US Women’s Open following the withdrawal of South Korean Se Ri Pak.
The 19-year-old from Dorset was first reserve for the tournament, which tees off at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania on July 9.
Hall, who earned her Ladies European Tour card in December, thought her chance had gone when she missed out on a place in a five-way qualifying play-off in May, but Europe’s former top amateur will now be playing in her first US Open after Pak pulled out with an injury.
Bizarrely, Hall was completely unaware that she was first reserve, and was shocked when she heard the news. “When I lost, I was quite upset and disappointed that I had come so close to going,” she said. “I kind of wasn’t sure of my place on the reserve list. I thought I was just the first in my section, so it was quite a shock when I got the call from an American number on my phone and it was a senior representative at the US PGA.”
Hall has played in the British Open twice and once at the Women’s PGA Championship as an amateur.
“It will be completely different to the British Open,” she added. “The greens will be a lot faster and I’ve got to try and learn as much as possible from the practice rounds. I’ve got to go out there and give it my best and I’d like to say a top-20 finish could happen.”