Catriona Matthew, the LPGA's most decorated Scot and a bona fide 'supermum,' will bid farewell at the Old Course https://t.co/zKtzyYr3Y0 pic.twitter.com/pPgCrV1FO2
— Golfweek (@golfweek) August 21, 2024
Catriona Matthew, a 54-year-old golfer from Edinburgh, is approaching what she anticipates will be her last Women’s Open at the famous St. Andrews course this week. For Matthew, it marks an emotional milestone in her distinguished career, which reached its peak when she won her one and only major championship at the Royal Lytham event back in 2009 after just giving birth eleven weeks prior—still regarded as one of the most significant achievements to date for Matthews personally.
Catriona Matthew Bids Farewell at St. Andrews
Catriona Matthew openly accepted the future of her competitive career as she looked back on her choice to retire from the event. “This will most likely be my last time participating in this competition,” she stated honestly. “I’m not under any illusion that I’ll come out victorious, but aiming to make it through would suffice for me.” She also expressed how ideal finishing off this phase of her profession at Scotland’s Home of Golf feels like a fitting endnote.
Despite not making the cut in this championship since 2020, Matthew has had notable achievements at St. Andrews in the past, with an impressive T-7 finish in 2007 and a strong showing of T-11 back in 2013. Nevertheless, her focus for this week’s tournament is less on taking home a victory and more on savoring the ambiance while bidding adieu to a course that holds such significant importance to her.
Matthew has spent most of this year away from competition, focusing instead on her upcoming role as captain for the Great Britain and Ireland team at the Curtis Cup in Sunningdale. Yet, she couldn’t resist the allure of one last Open at St. Andrews, hoping to make the most of her final walk over the Swilcan Bridge.
In the first two rounds, Matthew will be paired with fellow Women’s Open champions Stacy Lewis and Karrie Webb. Reflecting on Matthew’s influence in women’s golf, Lewis remarked, “She’s been such a tremendous competitor… and she’s really become a leader in women’s golf off the golf course and has helped us continue to grow.”
As Catriona Matthew prepares for her Swilcan goodbye, the golfing world watches with admiration for a player who has given so much to the sport and leaves behind a legacy defined by perseverance, skill, and grace.
