WOMEN'S OLYMPIC GOLF COMPETITION

August 6, 2024

Georgia Hall

Charley Hull

Le Golf National

Press Conference

STUART MOFFATT: From Great Britain, we are joined by Georgia Hall and Charley Hull.

First of all, question for you, Georgia, this is your first Olympic Games. How much are you looking forward to that experience and what are your expectations heading into the women's competition tomorrow?

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, obviously really looking forward to it. There's a different type of mindset I think this week. Obviously really an honour to be representing Great Britain and playing for your country. It's just, you know, any time you get to do that, it's probably one of the best moments that you can have as a professional athlete.

So yeah, just out to see the golf course. It's one of the best courses that I think we've played, and I think it will be a good test.

STUART MOFFATT: Charley, this is your second Olympic Games. How much are you looking forward to being back and competing in the Games.

CHARLEY HULL: It's really good. Roughly with COVID last time around, it was a bit tricky. But yeah, I'm super excited to do it. Went out and saw the golf course and it was in lovely condition and excited to get out there tomorrow.

Q. Dying to know how your Paris adventure is going. Have you gotten to see the city? Have you shopped? What have you done?

CHARLEY HULL: Well, I think I nearly went last night. Because literally, I played this morning and played the golf course for the first time today but hopefully I will get to venture the next couple days.

Q. Do you get the chance to see Keely running last night and did you see any coverage of it?

GEORGIA HALL: In the 800? Yeah, I saw a bit of it at the end. I saw her -- to get into the final, first place and obviously she won it by a mile.

Yeah, obviously it's fantastic to see that and see there's so many medals being won for Great Britain.

Q. Is there any in particular that you want to go and see?

CHARLEY HULL: I'd like to go to the boxing. Anything, really. Like obviously we're playing today you about hopefully in the evening it would be pretty cool.

Q. How many other athletes have you heard asked the same question, I want to come to the golf?

GEORGIA HALL: We haven't spoken to anyone yet.

Q. Who do you think would want to come to the golf? Do you get a sense that maybe -- I can't ask you Charley because there were no fans last time. One of the things we've been hearing is when golfers are in the Village around other athletes how many people talk about golf and they want to play.

CHARLEY HULL: I was in the 2016 Olympics, and I stayed in the Village there. I don't know, I didn't really speak to many other athletes, but I was actually -- and I didn't actually attend any Games.

So this time I actually want to go to a few Games. But I don't know if they will probably be thinking -- I think a lot of people when they go to the Olympics they want to go watch the running and stuff. I know we are quite far out from everywhere but the Olympic Village is about an hour away from here.

GEORGIA HALL: The next two days have been sold out, 30,000. I think they are expecting a lot of crowds the next few days.

Q. What are you thinking, what golf is like in the Olympics, when you're watching other sports, that's just so much intensity; how do you cope with that?

CHARLEY HULL: I'm pretty chill on the golf course. I just think about other stuff. It's just another week. Obviously it's the Olympics so you just have to keep your cool and when you get off the golf course, enjoy the atmosphere.

Q. For either of you, the atmosphere, you say it's been great, how much do you enjoy that and rising to the occasion, if you like?

CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, I think it's great with the crowds.

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, any time you get to play in front of the crowds that we are going to experience the next couple of days adds a little bit of excitement to your game and you're kind of being watched at all times. I think that's part of what we practise every day for to play in front of the number of crowds that there will be. So yeah, just looking forward to it.

Q. I haven't spoke to you since the U.S. Open when you had a lot of crowd interaction and reaction. Has that carried on and are you looking forward to more of the same this week?

CHARLEY HULL: It's always good to interact with the crowd and that, people watching, you know what I mean, and the sponsors. I love to play in front of crowds. I like being entertaining on the golf course.

Yeah, I'm hoping the crowds are big and a few people from England make it over the Channel.

Q. What's it like over the last couple of months to be as famous now for smoking on the course as your great play? Are you comfortable with that?

CHARLEY HULL: I don't actually go on Instagram. I haven't gone on Instagram in about four or five months. I don't go on social media or anything. I just let my agent do it. I just concentrate on my golf and just hang out with Georgia off the golf course.

Q. Do you smoke on the course?

CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, I do smoke on the course. It's a habit but I won't do this week. Yeah, just something I do.

Q. Why don't you do it this week?

CHARLEY HULL: I don't think you're allowed.

Q. Is that right?

CHARLEY HULL: Yeah.

Q. Will that affect you? Does it help you?

CHARLEY HULL: Yeah, I think it will. Because it relaxes me a little bit. But it is what it is.

Q. I thought the French would allow you to smoke?

CHARLEY HULL: Hopefully, yeah.

Q. Were either of you in a position to see Tommy medal on Sunday?

CHARLEY HULL: No. I was actually on the golf course playing in England. I didn't fly out here until yesterday. I didn't get here until yesterday evening. I went out today a little bit. I don't really watch much TV but my friends were showing me shots and that and I thought it was great what he did. I thought he was going to get Gold at one point but I bet he's pretty happy with Silver.

Q. The question has gone around for the last couple weeks, couple years, actually, of trying to decide the value of winning a Gold Medal compared with winning a major. What do you think it might be?

GEORGIA HALL: For me personally? I think, you know, growing up, I never really even had the opportunity to have this as one of my goals because golf wasn't in the mix.

I think the last few years, obviously it's been on my mind. I wanted to get into this team and win a medal. I think it will be up there high or at the top for me to win a medal in general.

I think personally, for England and the home event, it was very highly ranked, and I know for Charley as well. It will definitely be up there and it's something that I really want to try and perform well to have a chance on Saturday.

Q. Do you remember what it was like, not even sure where you were at the time, when Justin won the Gold in Rio?

GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, I remember watching it and I know it's obviously ranked very high for him.

I think I didn't really expect before coming here to be part of this and to be part of the Olympics and golf, and I think it's just great for golf in general.

Now I'm here. I get to wear -- like GB and wear all these outfits and stuff. It just kind of hits you how big it is.

Q. What do you know about Shannon Tan from Singapore?

GEORGIA HALL: I know she's a very big fan of me. She knows a lot about me for sure, and she's such a great player. I was paired with her at Evian in the last round. I saw her this morning. She's an interesting character.

Q. When did you realise that she knew a lot about you?

GEORGIA HALL: When she knew my birthday, and what day I was born compared to the Masters compared to her. She knew exactly when I was flying in next week. She knows a lot, yeah. But she's a lovely girl. It's really nice that I can be kind of, I guess, a role model for her because I wanted someone like that growing up and I did have, say -- yeah, I'm sure I'll see her throughout the years, as well, because she's so young.

Q. As golfers, do you realise sometimes the effect that you have on people without even knowing it? And does that make you happy or nervous? Nervous for you, Charley.

CHARLEY HULL: I feel like we're still young.

GEORGIA HALL: Strange, isn't it.

CHARLEY HULL: Weird like I'm a role model. Still looking up to people

GEORGIA HALL: I think we feel like we're not even halfway through our career really.