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<\/p>\nThe caddies of Georgia Hall and Darcey Harry were determined to stay out of the spotlight on the first day of the Women\u2019s Open here, but inevitably they attracted attention, and not just because they are also in relationships with their golfing bosses.<\/p>\n
Paul Dunne led the Open 10 years ago at St Andrews and Jacob Skov Olesen topped the same leaderboard two weeks ago at Portrush. So, as they walked out with the bags in the same threeball on Thursday lunchtime, it was fair to surmise that their links experience could be handy.<\/p>\n
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And so it proved, with Hall and Harry crediting their influence after a 71 and 70 respectively. \u201cYeah, it was great because Paul imagines shots better than me,\u201d Hall said. \u201cHe helped me lots out there,\u201d Harry said.<\/p>\n
Of course, Hall is a formidable links performer regardless of who happens to be lugging around the clubs and dishing out the yardages. As a 22-year-old, she became the first Englishwoman to win the Women\u2019s Open in 16 years when prevailing at Royal Lytham. She also has a second and a third to her name in her home major and makes no secret of the fact that this is \u201cthe first and only tournament I circle on the schedule at the start of every year\u201d.<\/p>\n
Hall has suffered a poor 2025 to date, the former world No 8 tumbling outside the top 100. Yet there is something about her challenge here that is intoxicating and four back from the pace set by Eri Okayama and Rio Takeda \u2013 with Miyu Yamashita making it a Japanese one-two-three \u2013 this was a rousing start.<\/p>\n
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Seven years ago, Hall triumphed with father Wayne as caddie. Will Dunne, to whom she became engaged two weeks ago, make it another family affair? \u201cI get most of my advice from Paul on chipping and pitching,\u201d she said. \u201cI can\u2019t beat him in a chipping comp even now. And he\u2019s really calm out there. It\u2019s nice to have that support off the golf course as well as on it.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Hall lifted the Women\u2019s Open trophy in 2018 with father Wayne acting as her caddie – Getty Images\/Fred Tanneau<\/p>\n
Hall missed six greens, so Dunne\u2019s guidance proved extremely useful. \u201cEspecially on the 16th,\u201d she said. \u201cWhere I was so far off the green I was on another tee. He definitely helped. I was left with a tap-in for my par.\u201d<\/p>\n
Dunne made a big impact from 2015 to 2017. At the Home of Golf, he stunned everyone by becoming the first amateur in 88 years to lead the Open after 54 holes and although he blew up on the final day to fall to 30th, the Dubliner had served notice of his talent.<\/p>\n
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And two years later, it was in full display when he shot a 61 on the Sunday at the British Masters to overhaul a certain Rory McIlroy for his first professional title.<\/p>\n
Huge things were predicted, but sometimes injury gets in the way. A wrist injury precipitated the decline and he now does not have status on any Tour. It is questioned whether he will ever return to swinging the clubs instead of carrying them.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe\u2019s a very good player and I feel he doesn\u2019t give himself enough credit,\u201d Hall said. \u201cObviously I\u2019m not complaining, I am very lucky to have him with me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Harry feels just as fortunate to have Olesen, the highly rated young Dane, by her side. She is a member here at this stunning South Wales links and admitted to being \u201cvery, very nervous\u201d. \u201cBut Jacob kept me smiling and distracted, so it was perfect,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
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Darcey Harry walks the 18th hole alongside her boyfriend and caddie Jacob Skov Olesen – Getty Images\/Oisin Keniry<\/p>\n
Olesen will advise her that the good mood can quickly disappear at an Open. After his opening 67 earlier this month, Olesen, a DP World Tour rookie, made a quadruple-bogey eight on the first hole of the second round on his way to a tie for 68th.<\/p>\n
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\u201cDont worry, I am already aware that golf can do that,\u201d Harry said. \u201cI was there watching him at Portrush.\u201d<\/p>\n
Mimi Rhodes leads the way for Britain following a 69, with Lottie Woad \u2013 the 21-year-old who was installed as the favourite following her victory<\/a> in her first pro event, the Women\u2019s Scottish Open, last Sunday \u2013 firing a 72. World No 1 Nelly Korda is ominously placed after a 70.<\/p>\n