Georgia Hall clinches British Open glory for first major title

The 22-year-old from Bournemouth is just the third home winner of the event since it became a major in 2001

Hall carded six birdies in a closing 67 to finish on 17 under par (Getty Images)

England's Georgia Hall produced a brilliant final round to win her first major title in the Ricoh Women's British Open at Royal Lytham.

Hall, who had never previously tasted victory on the Ladies European Tour or LPGA Tour, carded six birdies in a closing 67 to finish on 17 under par, two shots ahead of Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum.

The 22-year-old from Bournemouth is just the third home winner of the event since it became a major in 2001, following in the footsteps of Karen Stupples (2004) and Catriona Matthew (2009).

And fittingly she did so with her father Wayne acting as her caddie, the former two-handicapper having named his daughter in honour of Nick Faldo's Masters triumph in Augusta, Georgia, in 1996.

Hall had never previously tasted victory on the Ladies European Tour or LPGA Tour (Getty Images)

Phatlum began the day with a one-shot lead over Hall and made a brilliant start with four birdies in the first six holes to double her advantage, even though Hall also birdied the first, fourth and sixth.

However, an errant drive on the eighth led to a bogey for the 28-year-old and Hall moved into a share of the lead thanks to a birdie from 10 feet on the 13th.

Both players birdied the par-five 15th after Hall's eagle attempt from 15 feet caught the edge of the hole and stayed out, but it did not take long for Hall to get her nose in front thanks to another birdie on the next.

And when Phatlum found sand off the tee on the 17th and compounded the error by three-putting for a double bogey, Hall had the luxury of a three-shot lead and could easily afford her only bogey of the day on the 18th

PA