There was something in the air as Georgia Hall strode down the 18th fairway at the Women’s British Open with a three-shot lead over playing partner and nearest rival Pornanong Phatlum.
But it wasn’t the smell of victory, it was the stench of her dad’s four-day-old, unwashed socks.
After shooting an opening-round 67, Hall — a superstitious golfer, to say the least — ordered her father and caddie, Wayne, not to change or wash his socks for the rest of the Open.
“I’m quite superstitious and my dad is even worse, so he was like: ‘I’m going to keep them on. It’s going to be worth it, hopefully,'” the 22-year-old Hall told the BBC. “It was.
“They weren’t smelly after day one, but after four days … yeah, they were.”
Hall began day four one shot behind Phatlum, but a birdie on 16 and a double bogey from her Thai opponent on 17 handed Hall the advantage.
Standing on the 18th green, even a bogey couldn’t stop Hall from turning a dream into reality.
Sunday’s victory was not only Hall’s first major, it was her first win of any kind of the LPGA Tour or Ladies European Tour.
