\n<\/p>\n
The ultimate achievement would be to now emulate her old Solheim Cup skipper Catriona Matthew, who won the Women’s Open here at Lytham in 2009, just 11 weeks after giving birth to daughter Sophie.<\/p>\n
The Scot plays down this remarkable achievement, saying it was easier than it would have been after the arrival of a first child.<\/p>\n
“I spoke to her and I said, ‘I really don’t know how you did it,'” said Hall.<\/p>\n
“You couldn’t dream of doing that. I couldn’t. She said, ‘Oh, it’s a lot easier with the second.'”<\/p>\n
Hall asked for advice from Matthew, who told the Dorset star to manage expectations.<\/p>\n
“Just as in expecting a little bit less, but not in a bad way,” Hall told BBC Sport.<\/p>\n
“If you hit a bad shot, you’ve been out of it for a year. You’ve given birth to a human.<\/p>\n
“So it will take some time, basically be patient. And that’s what I’m going to have in my mind this week.”<\/p>\n
Hall will marry Conor’s father Paul Dunne, who led the 2015 Open as an amateur and beat Rory McIlroy to the 2017 British Masters title. The baby boy could hardly have more impeccable golfing genes.<\/p>\n
And the new mum has already made sure of a family photo on the 18th green this week. Hall said: “It’ll be my new screensaver.”<\/p>\n
Eight years ago the photos were of her clutching one of golf’s most prestigious trophies, but that is not her abiding memory. <\/p>\n
“I think just holing so many putts,” she said.<\/p>\n
“That’s why you play golf. It wasn’t even like holding the trophy at the end. It was the feeling you get from an accomplishment of holing great putts when it mattered.<\/p>\n
“Just so many of them, I remember, and when I was playing practice rounds the last few days, I would remember, oh yeah, I hit it there and that pin position was there. So it is nice to relive.”<\/p>\n
It is probably asking too much this week for Hall to reprise that 2018 victory when she finished 17-under-par to win by two shots. This year the remodelled links is baked out, providing a fast, firm and fearsome challenge.<\/p>\n
“Definitely it’s one of the hardest,” said Hall. “This golf course is so hard and they made changes that make it harder. So I’m expecting scoring to be a bit tricky.<\/p>\n
“But I’m improving every month and that’s just my only goal. I believe that my game’s in decent shape and if I can get in the right mentality and hole some decent putts, I think I’ll be OK.”<\/p>\n<\/div>\n