Georgia Hall interview: 'I'm not that far behind top 10 players'

Racking up two gold medals at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival is a promising start the year for Europe's number one female amateur golfer, 17-year-old Georgia Hall, but she believes there is more in store for 2013.

Her first appearence at a major came earlier this month at the Kraft Nabisco Championship and it appears she will compete in plenty more as she aims to turn pro by the end of the year after playing, and hopefuly winning, numerous amateur tournaments beforehand.

Hall will win many followers on tour with her humble, engaging and friendly demenour and Golfmagic sat down with the prodigy for a quick chat.

How did you start playing golf?

The first time I played was when I was seven and I went to the driving range with my Dad at Canford Magna.  I loved it and from then on I started to play more and more and by the time I was ten I was playing off ten.

What are your thoughts on the women’s game?

The women’s game is in a really good place and it’s getting even better with more girls taking up the sport all the time. More and more young girls are taking up golf and that’s positive so I think it’s really exciting the way we’re going. The standard is getting better all the time.

With such a rise to stardom at a young age, do you feel you have missed out on a ‘normal’ childhood?

Maybe. I don’t get to do most of the things that people my age do as I’m playing or practicing golf all the time so I don’t get a lot of time to do anything else. If golf works out though then it will all be worth it, absolutely. I still have hobbies as well - I like being with my friends and I like music, especially Michael Jackson! I’m still at college as well but obviously golf gets in the way so I’m rarely there.

You secured an invitation to the first major of the year at the Kraft Nabisco, in what was your first professional event. How did you find the experience and how did you feel you played?

It was a great experience and it was an amazing time and I played alright. My first round [79] wasn’t great and my second [75] was average - but if I had played two rounds like my second I would have made the cut. 

I stayed and watched the rest of the event and spent my time watching mostly the top ten players in the world and to be honest I wasn’t that impressed. I really don’t feel there is a massive difference between us which is a confidence booster. The difference is their consistency – they’re never too far off the fairway. Instead of being in the woods or out of bounds they're in the short rough or the first cut so they are never out of it.

Finally, who is your favourite golfer?

Tiger Woods and Suzann Petterson.