There is a certain ease about Lydia Hall when she’s in Australia. The way she talks about the place, how she moves through tournaments here, how her golf seems to rise, as we saw during her impressive triumph at the Vic Open.
For the Welshwoman, this part of the world has played to her strengths and become almost like a second home.
“I just wanted to come back to Australia; I love playing here,” Hall tells Golf Australia magazine, reflecting on why she continues to build her schedule around the Australian summer.
The weather helps. So do the courses. However, Hall’s connection with this part of the world runs deep. She has regularly used the Australian swing as a chance to escape the European winter and keep her game sharp, and leaned into a sporting culture that feels familiar to someone raised in a competitive, sport-loving household.
“It has always been part of my schedule [coming to Australia]. I love this time of the year with the weather.
"The weather is generally pretty good. The golf courses we get to play on are usually exceptional.
“The standard of women's golf, especially in Europe, has taken a huge leap forward; more playing opportunities to grow the strength and depth has been amazing." - Lydia Hall.
“It's an obvious no-brainer for me to come down here,” Hall adds.
Away from the course, Hall’s appetite for sport reflects her upbringing. The daughter of former Welsh rugby international Wayne Hall, she grew up surrounded by competition and remains a fan of fast-paced games. That has even extended to Australian rugby league, with Hall keenly tuning into the NRL during her time here. She loves the spectacle, but if she had to pick a team, it’d be the Gold Coast Titans.
“I have also found a massive love for the NRL over here. It's a little bit faster, quicker, more competitive. So, it's been nice to enjoy that.
“I’m more of a fan of the game, but I would probably say the Gold Coast because that was the first team I went and watched.
"They would be my go-to team, but unfortunately, they're not doing so great. I just love watching it, Thursday through to Sunday. It's just a very entertaining sport.”
Her love for playing down here has reflected in her form; there is also a sense of comfort that is reflected in her golf. Embracing demanding conditions, Hall often seems relaxed and content in her processes, enamoured by the challenge.
That familiarity translated into something far more tangible last week at 13th Beach, where Hall opened her Australian summer in emphatic fashion by claiming the women’s Vic Open. In demanding and hostile coastal winds, the 38-year-old produced an unwavering final round to secure a four-shot victory in one of Australian golf’s most storied events.
She chipped in for a birdie on the short par-3 7th on Sunday to surge clear; a hole she had made double on the day before, her experience of tournament golf eliminating any scar tissue which could be lingering during the heat of battle on championship Sunday.
“You just have to accept that it's a new day,” Hall says.
“The wind direction was slightly different on Sunday; it was more off the left instead of straight.
“But you just have to accept what the number is, reset and pick the shot that you want to play.
“I didn't hit a great shot, but I hit a really good chip.
“I think I have the experience to know that each day is different and just go and approach each day as it comes and accept the number you have in front of you and make the choice on the shot you're going to play and execute.”
Hall’s post-tournament smiles said it all.
“It’s definitely one that I’ve always wanted to have on my CV at the end of my career, and yeah, I’m really pleased to get it,” she told the media following the victory.
The Bridgend native continues to sing the praises of the depth of the LET and how the competition is continuing to go from strength to strength.
“It's been an incredible improvement from when I turned pro in 2008.
“This year, the cut lines have almost improved by at least two shots at some events and a lot more at some other events.
“Even the girls who are rookies on tour, they're coming out and they're towering over me at five foot eight and six foot two and bombing it down the fairways.
“I’ve got to rely on other areas of the game; not the length, but the shot making. There has just been a huge improvement in the women's game.”
Hall won’t have long to savour the moment of her big victory. Her attention has turned to the next stop on the Australian schedule, teeing it up this week at the Webex Players Series Victoria at Rosebud Country Club on the Mornington Peninsula.
How does the LET veteran carry that form forward? Easy, just keep doing what has been working.
“I mean, as long as I can keep doing what I’ve been doing, I know I’ve always got a chance.”
And it’s not just the Vic Open win which suggests Hall could be in for a big year. Her form has been trending steadily upward since late last season, with a run of consistent finishes on the Ladies European Tour. Even when the results haven’t threatened the very top of the leaderboard, she has been making cuts, building momentum and trusting her process.
That consistency, combined with renewed confidence and a proven ability to play her style of golf under pressure, points to a promising year ahead.
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