THE CHEVRON CHAMPIONSHIP

April 18, 2023

Georgia Hall

The Club at Carlton Woods

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome inside the Chevron championship online and in-person media availability center. I am here with major champion Georgia Hall. Georgia, welcome to the season's first major championship here in Texas. What's it like to be preparing for the season's first major?

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, it's not where we used to be for the first major. It's a very different area, very different golf course. It plays very different. Really excited to get going.

Obviously brand new sponsor this year, and the golf course looks in good shape, so really excited to get going on Thursday.

THE MODERATOR: I know Chevron is doing a lot for the players that are playing this week. Some off-the-course stuff, as well. What are some of those perks that you've been able to take advantage of?

GEORGIA HALL: What were they?

THE MODERATOR: Just the treatment of The Chevron Championship and the major feel of it all.

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, I mean, it's a massive arena, and it's just really well organized, especially there was so many of us on that flight for Hawai'i coming in, for example, and getting our rental cars, we were all just really tired, and they managed to get us through it very quickly, and just like the catering and the way it's all run and set up, it's really well-done. Especially for the first time. I know the next years are going to get better and better.

I think all the players are very excited and happy to be here.

Q. You yourself, your play as of late has been mightily impressive. How comfortable are you feeling with your game heading into this first major?

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, it obviously gives me a lot of confidence. I've been in contention most of the weeks that I've played in an event, so really comfortable with being in that position.

I think that every golf course every week is very different, as well, and this one -- and the greens are especially quite tricky, so I think I can rely on my short game this week, but hopefully I can in that final group again come Sunday.

Q. You mentioned being in contention every week, and I'm not sure we've ever seen this level of consistency out of you where you've been there. Is there one thing this your game that you can point to and say, yes, this is the key that has gotten me here?

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, that's a good question. I don't think I have a weakness in my game at all, and I think that's partially why I've been very consistent. I think my mentality is the strongest part of my game, and that's the key to why I play well.

But yeah, I think it's just a combination of the last year or two of hard work and stepping it up another level, and now it's just coming all together very nicely, and I'm glad the hard work is paying off.

Q. How would you compare -- having now seen this golf course, how would you compare it to what we had in the desert, and what do you think the differences are going to be and what it takes to win out here?

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, I think it's a little bit longer than Palm Springs. Palm Springs was a little bit more pristine in the way it looks, but I think this is -- I would say this is a better golf course.

I think the greens are a little bit harder. The greens are very grainy, which is going to be quite tough, I think, to read the putts, and obviously I think a great closing hole, very similar to the one we've had previous years. I don't know if anyone is going to jump in that lake, but we'll see.

Q. Speaking of 18, can you take us through the strategy of the hole?

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, obviously a par-5 again, a fairly simple tee shot, and then it depends if they have the tee up or not whether you can reach. If the tee is where it is at the moment in the standard place, I don't think hardly anyone can reach unless it's downwind, so I imagine at least once or twice they'll put us up a tee or two.

It is kind of a risk-reward. It's a tricky second shot coming into the green, but it's still a fairly short par-5 if you want to lay up, so definitely birdieable, even eagle if the tee is moved up. I think if you're one or two shots back, you've definitely got a chance to still be in it.

Q. When you say it's a better course, what do you mean by that? In terms of how it tests?

GEORGIA HALL: I think just the way it makes you think. You have to think a little bit more around this golf course. You can't really relax on any hole because there's always something about a hole that's very different. Just mostly on the greens, in Palm Springs I thought it was quite simple to read the greens, no grain at all, but now we have the grain, I heard it's going to be a little bit windy, as well, and a lot of factors come into play.

Q. You mentioned the hard work that you've put into your game to become more consistent this season. Is there any particular drills or work that you did that you can point to as what led to your consistency?

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, I think I've learnt a lot about my golf swing over the past couple of years and what I'm doing when I'm playing well and thinking about that. I know it's silly but I don't really use many drills when I putt. I kind of just would putt around and not think much. Now I've got like this great putting mat that I use, and it just allows me to correct my stroke every time I come to a new week. It makes me have a little bit more confidence with my putting.

New putter this year, which I've had the old putter for maybe eight years, and I've changed, and I think I've been putting quite well with that so far this year. I think that's one of the strongest parts of my game so far.

Q. What putter do you have now?

GEORGIA HALL: Bettinardi, so it's a bit similar shape to what I previously was using the past eight years, but I prefer the way it kind of sits. It sits very flush to the green, sits very -- it just looks really good when you pull it down, and it gives you a little bit more confidence with the stroke.

Q. When did you find the confidence that you can contend week over week with the game you have?

GEORGIA HALL: I think my first event was back in February, I think, came seventh, and then in Asia, I've never played well in Asia since I've come out on Tour. My best finish was probably 35th. I came 11th and 14th. To me that was a big, like wow, okay, I'm playing better than normal. Then obviously the first events in the U.S., in Arizona and PV, being in contention both times. Also just shooting 7-under and 4-under on the final Sunday gives me a lot of confidence that I can push and shoot a low score to win, not just level, 1-under.

I think I've got a lot of low rounds in me, and hopefully they can come out this week.

Q. A lot of players took last week off. I'm just curious how you figure out your schedule in terms of coming into a major, especially coming from Hawai'i.

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, not ideal travel to get here, but for me, what I've learnt since being on Tour is that I need to play in the event before a major. I feel a lot more comfortable just kind of on like a roll, a bit more like free coming into the major, and that's kind of the reason why. I like Hawai'i, great prize fund, as well, great golf course. I enjoy playing in the wind, so for me it was kind of a no-brainer. So that's my main reason.

Q. I liked your Instagram post about knocking on the door. How do you balance the confidence taken from being in contention all the time to the disappointment of not getting it done on the final round?

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, I would have loved to have at least one win sitting here right now, but like I said, I shot 7 and 4-under in the final rounds when I come second twice. It wasn't like I was leading and was two shots ahead and I kind of choked.

It gives me a lot of confidence, and I know that all the great players come second a lot, right, so I've just got to stay patient at the start of the year, so hopefully a lot more golf to be played and get a couple wins this year.

Q. Kind of talking about the confidence in your game, the way that you were able to take advantage of the time in Hawai'i, coming into a major, when is the last time you've been this comfortable in your game going into a major?

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, I mean, it's the best I've -- factually I've been playing. I'm No. 1 on the Money List and the Race to CME. I've never been this comfortable. I think before a major I've probably felt similar to AIG Women's Open just because that's where I'm from and I have my support there, and I feel very comfortable playing that event.

Yeah, just a bit of both, but in the U.S., I think it's definitely the most comfortable that I've felt.

THE MODERATOR: Thank you so much, Georgia. Best of luck.