Scotland's top-ranked golfer believes best is yet to come

Golf Correspondent

Saturday 9 March 2013

It was International Women's Day yesterday and women don't get more international than Catriona Matthew.

With two top-10 finishes already recorded, Catriona Matthew is targeting British Women's Open and Solheim Cup success in 2013. Picture: Getty Images

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Nick Rodger

A whistle-stop tour of Australia and the Far East has been safely negotiated and the west coast of America is the next port of call on the Scot's golfing itinerary. In between this globe-trotting, the North Berwick-based Matthew is enjoying a fortnight back in the dear auld haunts o' hame. Or perhaps not?

"The weather is pretty awful," sighed the former Women's British Open champion, as she headed for the covered driving bays at the Kingsfield Golf Centre in Linlithgow to keep her game in tune. Not that there's much wrong with it, mind you. A share of eighth in the Women's Australian Open, a tie for 14th at the LPGA Thailand Championship and a 10th-place finish in the HSBC Women's Open in Singapore over the past few weeks have ensured that the 2013 campaign began in purposeful fashion for Scotland's highest-ranked golfer on the global stage.There's always room for improvement, though. "Unless you win, you always say to yourself that you can do better but that good start has got me pretty excited about the season ahead," added the 43-year-old, who occupies 13th place on the world order and is the second-highest European on the list. It is these lofty standards and an unwavering competitive spirit that keeps driving Matthew on. Now in her 19th year as a professional, the triple Scottish Ladies Amateur champion maintains she is improving with age in an era when it seems various child prodigies are winning tour titles in the same week as they learn to walk.When Matthew plundered her maiden professional crown back in 1996, Lydia Ko, the 15-year-old amateur sensation from New Zealand who has already won three tour events, was not even a twinkle in her father's eye. "Nice of you to remind me of my age," said the vastly experienced Matthew with a chuckle as she reflected on the years that have hurtled by. "To be that talented and to have that composure at such a young age is phenomenal and it will be interesting to see how she develops."I wasn't really taking golf that seriously at 15 but things have changed and people specialise in one sport at a far younger age now. It's quite amazing to think I've been at this game as a pro for nearly 20 years. I have to work a bit harder these days on my fitness to keep up with the ones who are 20 or more years younger than me but I enjoy the challenge of going up against these up-and-coming players. It's an exciting time for women's golf and it's good to be part of it. I'm getting older but I'm hitting the ball better than I ever have. I still feel as if I'm improving and still feel very competitive. As long as that's the case, I'll keep driving on."There is plenty to keep Matthew going this year. The first major of the season, the Kraft Nabisco Championship in California, takes place next month while August's Ricoh Women's British Open will return to the Old Course at St Andrews, the happy hunting ground where Matthew claimed back-to-back triumphs as an amateur in the St Rule Trophy in 1993 and 1994."The goals remain very high and I would love another major," said the 2009 Women's Open champion. "St Andrews is one of my favourite courses and, who knows, maybe playing at home will give me that edge. It would be the ultimate place to win."With six Solheim Cup appearances already under her belt, Matthew is eager to make it a magnificent seven when Europe defend the trophy against the USA in Colorado in August. Twelve months before the continent's men had conjured the Miracle at Medinah during last September's Ryder Cup, the European women produced the Comeback at the Castle as a titanic tussle at Killeen Castle in Ireland turned their way during the final three singles matches, resulting in a memorable 15-13 win. Team Europe have never triumphed on American turf in the biennial bout and Matthew, who led the 2011 assault with a 6&5 rout of Paula Creamer in the top singles duel, is keen for that barren run to end."We travel as holders so we should be confident," she said. "There's a good chance we will have plenty of rookies and new faces who don't have the baggage of previous defeats over there. It would be huge psychological boost to win on American soil."Key to Matthew's aims for the rest of the year will be her putting. The reigning Irish Open champion has been working hard on those "15 to 20 footers" that can make a huge difference over the course of a competition. As for wider issues involving the putter, Matthew is pretty clear. On the prickly subject of anchoring she said: "It should be banned, it's just not a stroke."With two top-10 finishes already achieved this season, the anchor has already been raised on Matthew's latest golfing voyage and Scotland's long-serving standard bearer looks set for another successful one.

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Scotland's top-ranked golfer believes best is yet to come

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