Wild card Law can’t wait to challenge American stars

Relaxed rookie reveals captain gave her early heads-up she was on team

When Bronte Law was drawn to play with Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew at the AIG Women’s British Open, she likened it to being sat in front of the teacher at school so they can keep an eye on a troublesome pupil.

What the 24-year-old neglected to mention was that she was in no danger of being given extra homework or facing a spell in detention, rather that her status as a star pupil meant a wild card was secured with two events to spare.

While Matthew made the traditional phone calls to her other three wild cards, and the players who missed out, after the conclusion of the Ladies Scottish Open, Law had known for almost two weeks that she would be making her Solheim Cup debut at Gleneagles.

“She (Matthew) came up to me on the putting green on the Tuesday of the British Open and told me after it had been announced that we were playing together in the tournament that I didn’t need to worry about her watching over me, I was already on the team,” Law said.

“That kind of relaxed me a little bit and I went out and played some really good golf in front of her, which was really cool.

“It was a major week so I still had to go out and do my job, prepare as I always would, so it was no different really other than I could relax in terms of not worrying about Solheim.

“It was really cool to have that conversation with her and realise I was going to be on Team Europe.”

Law would not have needed a wild card at all if she had been eligible to qualify for the team automatically, but having only joined the Ladies European Tour at the start of the year she did not compete in the required number of events.

However, Law made her case for selection in emphatic fashion, surging through the field with a final round of 65 in the Mediheal Championship before losing out in a play-off and winning her maiden LPGA title in the PureSilk Championship on her next start.

“That was huge,” the Stockport-born professional said.

“That was a goal of mine at the start of the year, to get a win on the LPGA. It was a goal to get on the Solheim Cup. To check those two off was huge.”

Law may be one of three rookies in Europe’s team but she played in the amateur equivalent, the Curtis Cup, three times and became the first player from Great Britain and Ireland to compile a perfect 5-0 record in their victory in 2016.