The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Matthew dreams of dual Solheim role
Vice-captain says goal is to merit place on team as a playing member
Catriona Matthew can see herself playing and being a vice-captain in the Solheim Cup this year but knows she will have to merit a place in the team if she wants the dual role.
The Scot doesn’t feel she can rely on a wildcard pick from her captain Annika Sorenstam but knows she has to get going during the high-level part of the season from next month onwards.
“Obviously I’m delighted to be a vicecaptain this year,” she said, speaking at Gleneagles for the announcement of the dates for the 2019 version of the Solheim, when she is hot favourite to be captain.
“But the goal is still to try to make the team. I’ll only play(in the Solheim Cup) if I feel I’m playing well.
“I think Julie Inkster (for the USA) did it in Ireland. I spoke to her about it, and I think it’s definitely possible to be a playing vice-captain. I’ve played in it enough to realise that I would say that I shouldn’t be considered for a captain’s pick if I felt I wasn’t playing well enough.
“It’s not been the greatest of starts to the season for me, to be fair. But I’ve had the chance to get good practice in for the first time in many years and I’m quite excited looking towards the real start to the season, probably in about a month, when you have three majors in six weeks.”
Matthew is to be a brand ambassador for Scotland in the build-up to the Solheim, and she has good memories already of Gleneagles.
“I wasn’t at the Ryder Cup, but played in the McDonald’s Tournament here for many years and they also had the LET Match Play event here,” she recalled.
“The McDonald’s was on the King’s Course and I won that in the 1990s, which was my first professional win in Scotland.”
Meanwhile, Matthew said that she would love to be one of the first female members of the Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers at Muirfield if asked.
It’s rumoured that the club, which reversed its all-male membership policy last month, is preparing to increase membership numbers to start the admission process for up to 25 women.
Matthew, who was born and still lives in neighbouring North Berwick, is reckoned to be a favourite to be approached.
“Living down there, I’d love to be a member,” she said.
“I’m not sure if professionals should be members but let’s just say we are exploring the possibilities.
“I’m sure it’s not just going to be token members.
“The normal process to be a member is five years, I believe, and then they will open the waiting list and be treated equally. I think they will let in a fair few. “I’d love to be a member. “I’ve only played it a few times but it’s a great place to play. I’m only a few minutes away. I’m going there to play in a few weeks so maybe we’ll explore it there.”