GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, it's been really nice. I had two, three months off. It's been a little bit more hectic off-season for me. I had a few changes club-wise, so I've been testing a lot. I'm not someone who likes to change.
So, yeah, just been working hard at that really, and I feel I'm happy with my full bag.
Excited to start here in Saudi this week.
Q. And you're back at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club. You've had great success here. What do you feel like you need to maintain and do this week to defend the title?
GEORGIA HALL: I think it's going to be very windy again, one of the windiest weeks that I've been here, which is nice. I think it's a good test. Definitely work on my low shots, especially off the tee as well. It's a very strong field this year. Much stronger than last year. I think obviously be harder to win for anyone.
Really excited to get going tomorrow.
Q. And this week you're competing for the U.S. $5 million prize fund, which is the largest on the LET outside of the majors. How do you feel about this move really helping with the equality of the game?
GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, it's massive, for women's golf especially, to have equal prize fund with the men at the same course, same venue. It's amazing. I know that us players are very grateful for Aramco for helping to put this event on, and I think it will just help especially for other sponsors and companies going forward to hopefully do the same for us.
Q. Obviously you mentioned you're back here defending. Thoughts on the strength of the field this year, and also the new wave of youngsters coming through that all seem to be making an impact in the past 12 months or so?
GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, obviously a very strong field and I think it's great for this event especially. I've seen, yeah, a lot of youngsters come through, especially ones from Europe which is great. I think it will help our Solheim going forward as well.
I think we're going to have quite a different team this year. But, yeah, I've seen -- I don't know if I can say her name -- is it Chiara? Yeah, I think she's going to be really good. Obviously won the team individual part last year here at the Aramco Team Series, so I've heard a lot of good things about her.
I think it's great for obviously women's golf to get as many as possible coming through.
Q. Last year you won here. This year are you going to do the same thing, follow the same strategy, or are you going to change it?
GEORGIA HALL: I wish I can say now that I'm going to do, but I just, yeah, obviously try my best and I do really like the golf course. I've had good results here. Not just winning, but in previous years. I like the weather conditions, things like that, so of course I feel quite confident going into the event.
But, yeah, I think it will be like I said, tougher to win, but, yeah, see what happens and take one day at a time I think.
Q. Welcome back, first of all.
GEORGIA HALL: Thank you.
Q. You've been here, a regular for all the tournaments before. Do you see any changes so far in this tournament, like anything has changed? Have you seen anything different so far?
GEORGIA HALL: I don't think much has changed since my first time here regarding like the golf course. I think this week is actually the best I've seen the condition of the course. And also some tees have been pushed back, so I think scores may not be as good as previous years.
But, I mean, as soon as I arrived my first time in Saudi, to Jeddah, the way we get treated and the players lounge, physio treatments, everything has been first class.
So I think all our players enjoy coming back here as well for that reason.
Q. So you're the defending championship from last year. Today with the prize fund getting higher than ever, going to be like $5 million, how do you deal with that pressure? What do you feel about it, like how you're going to come through this tournament?
GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, I mean, the prize fund, like I said, has been an amazing increase and great for the equal prize fund. That doesn't give my more pressure feeling-wise. I think defending champion for me is -- you know, every time you defend you obviously won the year before and it's a really good feeling, and a feeling that a lot of players don't get often because we have so many good players now on tour it's very hard to win.
So, yeah, I feel really good coming into this week. It's nice to defend. Obviously maybe a little bit more pressure here or there, but I think pressure is really good and it means you care.
I'm really going to enjoy the week and, yeah, see what happens. But, yeah, obviously we're all very happy to play here with the increased prize fund, and I think hopefully in future years we can continue at the same prize fund. Yeah.
Q. Georgia, there is one more question from one of the local outlets. They're asking you about the pro-am you're going to play, and you will have one of the Saudi ladies first members playing with you. What will be your advice to her? What's it going to be like outside there?
GEORGIA HALL: That's nice. I didn't know that. Yeah, that'll be lovely. I'll look forward to meeting her. Doesn't matter how she plays; just have fun. I would like to know how she took up the game and how long she's been playing and things like that.
I only get nine holes with her, so make the most of it. Unfortunately it's not the best conditions for her to play, but, yeah, I look forward to meeting her.
Q. One follow up on the Solheim Cup. We had Lexi in here half hour ago, talk about the playing for the American team and also having not won for the last editions. What do you take away from the Solheim Cup and what's... (indiscernible) what would that be like?
GEORGIA HALL: Yeah, incredible. We have an amazing captain again, Suzann. Very fierce competitor, and I think she'll be a fierce captain, too. Obviously to get three in a row would be incredible.
But I mean, Solheim, for me especially, is one of the highlights of my career, and I think, yeah, be my fourth time playing this year, so I look forward to it. Obviously I always want to get on the team automatically, otherwise sometimes -- I've never been picked, but I imagine it can be quite nerve-racking. Yeah, really look forward to it.
It's such a nice week. It's different. Especially last time because of COVID we had no supporters there at all. I think it helped us a little bit, because we always just -- it was just us in the room and that was it and we always get to know each other really well.
Like I said, I think it will be a quite different team with some youngsters and couple of the Swedish players possibly on the team as well. I think we'll have a very strong team, which is always good. To play at home is always nice as well.
THE MODERATOR: Okay, I think that's is. Thank you, Georgia and all the best for this week.
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