GEORGIA Hall might have expected to encounter many things on the Ladies’ European Tour but a natural disaster was probably not one of them.

Bournemouth’s rising star had made a flying start to the year when she arrived, excited and optimistic, in the city of Christchurch for the New Zealand Open.

It was perhaps a surprise that off the back of her memorable triumph at the Victorian Open in Australia a few days earlier, Hall missed the cut – her first early exit as a pro on tour – but that was nothing compared to what was to follow 24 hours later, when she went to the local shopping mall with her host family.

“We had only been there about 10 minutes and I was in a shop with a few things in my hand I was going to buy,” said Hall.

“I heard someone scream and looked over and thought it was a bunch of girls laughing really loudly.

“Other people started running and then all of a sudden, things started flying off the shelves. I didn’t really know what was going on and then I felt the ground move and it was really hard to stand up.

“As soon as I felt the ground move the host lady held my hand and we ran outside as fast as we could. Everyone was crying and people were phoning their families to check if they were alright.”

The former European amateur number one had been caught up in a magnitude 5.7 earthquake, one of the strongest quakes in Christchurch since the disaster of 2011 which caused devastation across the city and left 185 people dead.

While this latest quake claimed no fatalities and did not result in major injuries, the force of its impact left a lasting impression on Hall.

“After it happened, we walked for about two hours on the street in case there was an aftershock, which might have been bigger,” she added. “We didn’t want to go near a building or in the car.

“It was really scary because a shopping centre is the worst place to be in that situation. People die not directly because of earthquakes but because things collapse and I was scared because of that.

“It was a nightmare – I couldn’t believe it.”

That episode aside, Hall has enjoyed a smooth opening six months of 2016. In fact, the upward trajectory of her career has accelerated.

Victory at the co-sanctioned Victorian Open was Hall’s second triumph since she shed her amateur status and earned the former Curtis Cup ace nearly £22,000, the biggest payday of her career.

The result also guaranteed the ex-Canford Kid a start in the Australian Open in Adelaide, where she stormed to tied-ninth and banked just over £17,000 in prize money, putting her New Zealand disappointment firmly behind her.

Despite subsequent missed cuts at the Ladies’ Masters and the World Ladies’ Championship, Hall banked a top-40 finish at the Lalla Meryem Cup and then roared to tied-fifth at the Buick Championship in China, elevating her to the lofty heights of fifth on the LET order of merit and 169th in the world rankings.

Now the 20-year-old, in her second full year on tour, is hopeful she can keep her fine form going ahead of the Women’s British Open next month.

Reflecting on her start to the year, she added: “The Victorian Open win was fantastic and to finish in the top 10 at the Australian Open was really good.

“It’s a lot different to last year because at this point last year I hadn’t played in many tournaments and this year I have already played in six.

“Because I’m in an improved category now I have a greater chance of doing better.

“I’m pleased with the way the start has gone and I’m in a good position in the order of merit and am set to qualify automatically for the British Open.”

Dorset ace Hall is due to return to Ladies’ European Tour action today when she tees it up in the Tipsport Golf Masters in the Czech Republic.