STOLEN: The AIG Women’s British Open trophy (no joke!)

It’s fair to say this year’s AIG Women’s British Open is off to a less than perfect start.

After Lexi Thompson’s passport blunder left more than 40 players unable to practice at Woburn on Monday, it has now been revealed that this week’s winner won’t lift the same trophy raised by previous champions – after the silverware was stolen from defending champion Georgia Hall’s car months ago.

Speaking to the media today, the English ace added that the silverware has not yet been recovered since being pinched in Chiswick, London.

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“They’ve probably melted it down,” said the 23-year-old. “They smashed my back window, like 12 o’clock in the middle of the day, and just took it. There’s no CCTV. I don’t know if they knew it was me or not because it was in a box. I had golf clubs in there as well but they didn’t take those. So, it’s all a bit strange.”

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Hear Hall’s full explanation here…

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The trophy, which has been replaced this week by Hall’s own replica, was introduced in 2007, to coincide with the then RICOH Women’s British Open debut at St Andrews.  

Earlier this week, Hall told her hometown newspaper, the Bournemouth Echo, that she had kept the trophy under her bed for three months because she was travelling so much and didn’t want it on show.