LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England — Named in honour of a famous Masters victory, Georgia Hall has her hands on one of the big trophies in women’s golf at the age of 22.

The Englishwoman reeled in long-time leader Pornanong Phatlum in a gripping final-round duel at Royal Lytham to win the Women’s British Open for her first major title on Sunday.

Hull tapped in for a bogey _ her first of the day _ at the last hole to clinch a two-shot victory over Pornanong. Hall then hugged her playing partner from Thailand before being lifted off her feet by her caddie, father Wayne.

It was fitting that Wayne, a former two-handicapper himself, was on the bag to experience the biggest moment of his daughter’s career.

Georgia was born during the 1996 Masters won by English golfer Nick Faldo at Augusta, Georgia. She was named in honour of that victory, which came after Faldo overcame a six-stroke deficit to Greg Norman in the final round.

Twenty-two years later, Hall is the pride of English golf just like Faldo was. And the way Hall kept her composure and kept producing the shots of her life down the stretch, there might be more major titles to come.

Her round of 5-under 67, which included six birdies, saw her finish on 17-under 271.

“I was loving it deep down, hitting the shots under pressure,” said Hall, who barely showed any emotions all round. “To get six birdies in the final round of a major is not bad.”

Hall, who receives a check of $490,000, became the first English major winner since Karen Stupples won this event in 2004, and the fourth overall along with Laura Davies and Alison Nicholas.

She followed Stupples and Catriona Matthew _ in 2009 at Lytham _ as the only British winners of the Women’s British Open since it achieved major status in 2001.

Brooke Henderson (74) of Smiths Falls, Ont., tied for 11th at 6 under par. She had three birdies and three bogeys offset each other, but a double bogey on the par-4 17th hole put her at 2 over for the round.

Roared on under blue skies by the large gallery desperate for a home winner, the 39th-ranked Hall started the day a shot behind Pornanong, who led after the second and third rounds.

From the moment Pornanong curled in a long left-to-right putt at the second hole to answer Hall’s 15-foot birdie at the first, it had the makings of a duel in the Lytham sun.

And a two-player race for the year’s fourth major was definitely established when both picked up a shot at No. 4 and Pornanong followed Hall in birdying No. 6. That regained a two-shot lead for Pornanong, who had also birdied the par-3 fifth hole.

Hall was always chasing but was given hope when Pornanong bogeyed No. 8 to reduce her lead to one shot. Then, when Hall rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt at No. 13, they were tied for the first time since the first hole.

Hall took the outright lead for the first time in the tournament after a 20-foot putt for birdie at the 16th hole and went down the last with a three-shot lead after Pornanong, ranked No. 97 and also seeking her first major and LPGA title, missed a two-foot putt to make double-bogey at No. 17.

Hall played safe in three-putting from distance in front of Royal Lytham’s storied clubhouse and celebrated her first win on the LPGA Tour. She had never won on the Ladies European Tour, either.

“It is too good to be true,” Hall said. “It was my goal when I was nine to win the British Open. I am so happy.

“I just had to stay calm and patient. It was very close up to the last two holes and I holed all the putts today.”

Ryu So-yeon of South Korea was third on 13 under after a final-round 70.

Reigning champion Zach Bauchou fired a 65 in Monday’s opening round of the 114th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Duncan Meadows Golf Course to tie the course record and lead by two strokes.

The Forest, Va., native thrived in the sweltering B.C. weather, going 7 under through his first 10 holes thanks to two eagles—one that included a hole-out from the bunker on No. 17. Bauchou cooled off on his final eight holes, giving one back with a bogey on the par-3 7th.

“I was making some nice putts and hitting my irons really well,” said Bauchou, greenside at the 9th hole. “My round kind of fizzled off at the end—I missed a short putt and stopped making some putts. But 65 is still a solid round and it’s a good start.”

Bauchou will tee off at 1:03 p.m. PT on Tuesday at co-host Pheasant Glen Golf Resort. He plans to clean up some minor mistakes, with the game plan remaining the same.

“I really felt like the last eight holes I could have played a lot better, so I need to touch up on some things this afternoon and come out strong tomorrow,” said the 22-year-old Oklahoma State junior. “I’m going to hit a lot of drivers out there [Pheasant Glen], you just need to hit some good wedges and make some putts.”

Defending champion Zach Bauchou of Forest, Va., shoots an opening-round 65 to tie the Duncan Meadows course record and take the early clubhouse lead in the Canadian Amateur at 6 under #CDNAm

A post shared by Golf Canada (@thegolfcanada) on Aug 6, 2018 at 12:56pm PDT

There is a five-way tie for second at 4 under par consisting of: Team Canada National Squad member Joey Savoie (La Prairie, Que.), Andrew Harrison (Camrose, Alta.), Kaleb Gorbahn (Smithers, B.C.), Julien Sale (Gatineau, Que.) and Oliver Ménard (Salaberry-de-Valleyfield, Que.).

Canadian Junior Boys champion Christopher Vandette of Beaconsfield, Que., sits in a four-way tie for 7th at 3 under par.

Team Quebec jumped out to an early lead in the 36-hole inter-provincial competition for the Willingdon Cup. The trio’s lowest two scores (67-67) of the round from Savoie and Sale gave the team a score of 8 under par and a six-stroke advantage.

Teams Alberta and British Columbia share second place at 2 under par. The Willingdon Cup champion will be crowned on Tuesday at Pheasant Glen.

In addition to claiming the title of 2018 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, the winner will earn exemptions into the 2018 U.S. Amateur at Pebble Beach Golf Links in Pebble Beach, Calif., and the 2019 RBC Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Hamilton, Ont. from June 3-9.

The champion will also be eligible to receive an exemption into the U.S. Junior Amateur, the U.S. Mid-Amateur or the U.S. Senior Amateur, if applicable.

Click here for full results.

Rule 26-1 Explanation of Water Hazard Relief (Rule 26-1b) vs. “Line of Flight”

QUESTION: How do I determine where the ball must be dropped when proceeding under option b in Rule 26-1? Is it along the line of flight the ball took to get to the hazard?

ANSWER: No. Under the rules of golf, dropping the ball on the “line of flight” is never an option, however, it is often confused with the concept provided in Rule 26-1b. Under Rule 26-1b, when taking relief from a water hazard, a player may drop a ball behind the water hazard, keeping the point at which, the original ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard directly between the hole and the spot on which the ball is dropped (a term of “flag line” has been used to help clarify).

In determining this line, the player must first determine where the ball last crossed the margin of the water hazard. Once this point is determined, the player should draw an imaginary line from this point to the hole. The player may then drop the ball anywhere along an extension of this line behind the water hazard (Decision 26-1/1.5).

Please refer to point “D” in Decision 26-1/15, for an illustration.

Remember, the rules matter.

Saskatoon’s Shaun Dunphy shot the round of the day for Saskatchewan golfers at the 114^th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship on Monday.

After the first round of the national championship in Duncan, B.C. the Saskatoon Golf and Country Club member is tied for 11^th spot at minus-2. Dunphy opened with a birdie on hole one at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort. He splattered three more birdies on the front nine to go with just two bogeys taking the turn at 2-under par. Dunphy carded a trio of birdies and bogeys on the back nine leading to a 69.

Kade Johnson, the Saskatchewan amateur champion, is in a tie for 73rd at 2-over par. The Southern Arkansas University student provided day one fireworks with a hole in one on hole seven at Duncan Meadows Golf Course. The Yorkton product peppered three bogeys on his card, he had a double-bogey and a birdie on hole 18 to secure a first round 73.

David Stewart and Justin Wood both finished round one at plus-5, each shooting 76. They are in a logjam at 135^th place. Saskatoon’s Ty Campbell is tied for 172th at 7-over. Saskatchewan mid-amateur champion Mike Herperger shot an 8-over, 79, that leaves him in a tie for 189^th. Liam Courtney is tied for 214^th place after an opening round 81, Keighton McNab and Roman Timmerman, both of Saskatoon are at plus-14, they are in 233^rd position.

The tournament is taking place at two courses for the first two rounds until cuts are made. Defending champion Zach Bauchou is the leader at 6-under.

Click here to find the complete leaderboard and tee times for Saskatchewan’s athletes ahead of round two.

What started as a family business in northern Saskatchewan has flourished into two decades of golf success.

Northern Meadows Golf Club started in 1995 as a small nine-hole course by Frank Sopracolle, his offspring and significant others. Today the facility has developed into a top of the line 18-hole course, RV park, and campground just outside Meadow Lake Provincial Park. Co-owner Ken Olan said they never imagined the course would expand to what it is today.

“We never did no,” Olan told Golf Saskatchewan. “We built eight rental cabins by the clubhouse, we realized people needed a place to stay. We get lots of groups now that come in,” he said.

This week, the family owned course celebrated their 20^th anniversary. Using the “natural landscape” to develop the now 18-hole course Olan said they needed to build a top-notch facility to be sustainable, especially in northern Saskatchewan.

“We always said if we’re going to put a course here we need to be better than others around. We needed to make it a destination and we’ve done that,” Olan said.

Since the inception of the first nine holes in 1998, the club grew and opened another nine holes in June of 2007. This week they celebrated their 20^th anniversary. The course is built on his Olan’s parent’s homestead land and the clubhouse is Olan’s wives’ grandparent’s home they brought in from Goodsoil. He said the course has created a significant community in northern Saskatchewan, as for the next pair of decades, Olan is not clear on what will take place.

‘It’s hard to say, something has to be done,” he said” “It’s no longer a little nine-hole golf course. It has a mind of its own, we just have to steer it,” he said.

Colby Friedrich is happy with the way he performed at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship this week.

The 16-year-old was the lone Saskatchewan golfer to make the cut at the Medicine Hat Golf and Country Club based tournament. The Battleford product shot 26-over par through four rounds, that left him in 71^st place. Friedrich said overall the event was a great endeavor.

“I thought it was a great learning experience,” he told Golf Saskatchewan. “Being at an under-19 national championship there was so many things to learn. I thought it was awesome.”

After carding a 77, 6-over par on day one Friedrich knew he had to be better during round two to make the cut. He played well posting a 73, just below the line which allowed him to play two more rounds. He said his nerves were shot waiting for the competitors to finish the round.

“After the round I couldn’t stop looking at my phone seeing how far I was moving up the leaderboard. I was pretty nervous,” Friedrich said.

The 72-hole event, not including practice rounds piled up for Friedrich he admitted. He said the biggest learning curve was the toll the competition took on his body. Several days in Medicine Hat the weather hovered in the mid-30-degree Celsius range. He said his body couldn’t get enough water.

“It takes it’s toll, especially round two when I knew I had to go out and post a good score. I did but, in the heat, it was a grind, some of the hottest weather I’ve ever played in,” he said.

The championship does include a “juvenile” age category that is for golfers under 17 years of age. Friedrich was 18^th within his age group. Friedrich shared the experience with Josh Nagy, Bradley Moser, Connor Scissons, Steven Duchscher, and Cole Obrigewitsch. He said he hopes to take what he learned this year into another national championship next year.

“It was awesome, just spending time with the guys. It was a great experience, meeting a couple new guys. I was able to show myself what I need to work on and hopefully I can come back next year, make the cut and play better the last two days,” he said.

Friedrich will take a couple weeks off before the Junior Lobstick in Waskesiu. He will finish the competitive season at the Maple Leaf Junior Tour Championship at the Elmwood Golf Club in Swift Current.

Saskatchewan’s four representatives at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship are on their way home.

Brooklin Fry, Sarah Grieve, Carey McLean, and Ella Kozak showed well at the Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen, B.C. gaining crucial experience for the future.

Fry, 13, the provincial champion shot 38-over for the first two rounds of the event. Grieve, 15, shot 188, she finished at 44-over par. 16-year-old Mclean was 45-over par and Kozak, 12, finished the event at 53-over par.

All four young golfers missed the cut.

Saskatchewan finished eighth in the inter-provincial competition of the event.

When it rains, it pours.

That sentiment isn’t words golfers usually like to mutter but for Taylor Afseth it’s raining buckets. The Saskatoon Golf and Country Club member has unbelievably hit three aces in 12 days, all at different courses. According to Wikipedia, a golfer has a one in 12,500 chance of hitting a trio of hole in ones in their lifetime. Afseth didn’t need two weeks between his first three. He said he’s still having a hard time believing the ball fell.

“I can’t even explain it, it’s just weird,” Afseth said. “I don’t know, three shots no different than any others I’ve hit, and they went in. Expect the unexpected.”

The first came on hole 11 at Dakota Dunes Golf Links during the second round of the Men’s Amateur Championships on July 18. His ace on the 211-yard hole helped vault him up the leaderboard landing a spot in the national mid-amateur championship later this month. He said that was a memorable moment.

“That was special, when it went in I was like, I can’t believe it happened here. When I needed it, in the biggest tournament in the province, that was so special. We were all very excited,” Afseth said.

Afseth picked up his second ace, also during a tournament. He was playing in the Ironman at Silverwood Golf Course in Saskatoon. The 132-yard shot also came on hole 11. Afseth said he never thought the tee shot had a chance to drop in.

“That one I didn’t hit near as well, in the air it looked like it was headed for the centre of the green. The greens were fast, it rolled a long way and went in,” he said.

His most recent hole in one came on hole three at the Rosetown Golf and Country Club on July 30. When the ball hit the cup on the 223-yard par-4, Afseth was speechless.

“I just shook my head, I didn’t know what else to do,” he quipped.

Afseth started playing the game with his grandfather at Turtle Lake and in Saskatoon with his dad. He said he’s been involved in the sport his entire life. When he was young his grandfather took him to a Canadian Junior Golf Association event in South Carolina that was a “really cool experience.” The 25-year-old said the aces are great for his confidence in preparation for his next big event, the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Victoria Golf Club.

“It definitely helps, I’ve hit a lot of shots that have looked like that in the air in the last couple days. It makes you nervous knowing it has a chance to drop and it has been lately. I’m going to try and keep it going,” he said.

The Mid-Am event runs from Aug. 24 to 24.

Golf Saskatchewan has a hole in one club on their website. Luis Nicholas amazingly has two of them at Holiday Park Golf Course this season. Keon Turner, 12, hit one on July 30 at TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club as well.

Colby Friedrich didn’t shoot anything over a bogey Wednesday at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship on route to a solid 78 in round three.

The 16-year-old Battleford product has a three-round total of 228, he is at 15-over par. Friedrich sits in a tie for 65^th place among a field that started at 156. He still falls into “juvenile” age group at the tournament, he is 17^th in his age group. The North Battleford Golf and Country Club member was the lone Saskatchewan golfer to make the cut at the championship.

Friedrich’s fourth and final round at the Medicine Hat Golf and Country Club is on Thursday.

You can follow the online leaderboard here.

Some work will need to be done if any of Saskatchewan’s junior girl golfers will make Wednesday’s cut at the Canadian championship in British Columbia.

After day one of the national event for women golfers under 19 years-old, the team Saskatchewan foursome did fare well at the Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen, B.C.

Saskatchewan champion Brooklin Fry, 13, shot 89 during the first round of the tournament. The Shell Lake product is in a tie for 105^th place overall, but she sits in 66^th position in the juvenile age group. The juvenile category is under 17 years-old as of Aug. 1. 15-year-old Sarah Grieve of Saskatoon and 16-year-old Carey McLean out of Deer Valley are tied for 123th place at plus-21.  That position jumps to 75^th in the under-17 division.

Ella Kozak, 12, shot a 22-over, 94 during round one, she sits in a tie for 80^th place in the juvenile division.

McLean, the last member of Team Sask. on the course Tuesday is the first on the blocks for round two. She tees off at 10:28 a.m. Saskatchewan time. Grieve will begin her round at 3:28 p.m. and Kozak tees off just 11 minutes later. Fry hits the course at 3:50 p.m.

Lauren Kim of Surrey, B.C. leads the event at 3-under through round one. Online scoring is available here.