The lady is not for turning. Catriona Matthew showed all her class and qualities during her ninth appearance in the Solheim Cup but the Scottish veteran has maintained that it will still be her swansong in the transatlantic tussle.
Team Europe may have lost by a 16 ½ - 11 ½ margin to the USA but the 47-year-old Matthew went out in style as she chalked up a hard earned singles victory over Stacy Lewis on the final green to rack up her third point from four outings over the three days in Des Moines.
Matthew, the 2009 Women’s British Open champion, will be the favourite to succeed European captain Annika Sorenstam and lead Europe into the battle when the contest comes to Gleneagles in 2019.
Having been called up to the team just two days before the matches started in the wake of Suzann Pettersen’s late withdrawal due to injury, Matthew rose to the occasion and put in a series of stellar performances. The strength of her showing, however, has not convinced her to change her mind over calling it a day on the Solheim Cup playing front.
“No, this is going to be my last one playing,” she said when asked if she would have a change of heart. “You know, I was three-down through 11 in my singles and I kind of said to myself this is going to be my last match. So I gave it my all and got all the holes in, I managed to play all 18, and just squeak it past. I enjoyed the moment today. I think it's time for some younger players to take over, though.”
The prospect of Matthew taking over the captain’s reins on home soil in two years was heightened as Sorenstam re-iterated her desire to see the baton passed on. “I said coming in this week that it's a one-time show,” she said “It's been a great journey and so forth. But we have so many wonderful candidates lining up, and it's an honour to do this. And I would love somebody else to get the opportunity to do this. The European team will always have a place in my heart and this week will, too. So it is time to move on. It's been a great journey.”
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