ALL good things must come to an end. Catriona Matthew has been a mainstay of the European Solheim Cup scene for almost two decades.
Last night, though, it was the end of an era. While the 47-year-old Scot will still head for Des Moines next week as one of Annika Sorenstam’s vice-captains for the transatlantic tussle with the USA, she won’t be making an ninth appearance as a player.
Sorenstam named her four wild card picks in the aftermath of the RICOH Women’s British Open at Kingsbarns but Matthew was not among them.
The 2017 campaign has not been a vintage one for Matthew but the decision to end her run of seven consecutive appearances in the biennial bout was not easy for her close ally Sorenstam to make.
“It was hard to say no to someone who lives for the Solheim Cup,” said Sorenstam, the 10-time major winner who also played in eight Solheim Cups down the years.
“But Catriona was involved in the process and knows the players we were talking about. She is strong and mature and I’m happy to have her in the team either way.”
Matthew, who made her debut in the Solheim Cup back in 1998, missed the cut in the British Open and was the first to admit that she simply didn’t rise to the challenge.
“It was in my hands but I didn’t play well enough,” said the North Berwick veteran who will certainly throw her hat into the ring to be European captain in 2019 when the Solheim Cup comes to Gleneagles.
Sorenstam’s four picks included Anna Nordqvist of Sweden and Germany's Caroline Masson as well as the rookie pair of Madelene Sagstrom and Emily Pedersen. Nordqvist will be making her fifth Solheim Cup appearance while it will be a third outing for Masson
The addition of Sagstrom and Pedersen means Team Europe will have four new recruits as they try to wrest back the cup. English duo Florentyna Parker and Georgia Hall will also be making their debuts in Des Moines.
On the US front, Juli Inkster, the American captain, named Austin Ernst and Angel Yin as her two wild cards.
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