Matthew still to decide if historic Muirfield event will be major swansong
Catriona Matthew, the 2009 winner, has still to decide if the event’s eagerly-anticipated first visit to Muirfield will be her swansong in the AIG Women’s Open at the age of 52.
After her promising start at Royal Troon, where she was joint fourth following an opening 71, Europe’s Solheim Cup captain finished in a tie for 59th on 13 over, having added subsequent efforts of 76-74-76.
Matthew finished bogeybogeyinthefinaltworounds and, even at this stage in her distinguished career, that still hurts. “A disappointing weekend, especially today as it wasn’t too bad out there today,” she said afterwards.
In a new five-year schedule for the event, it returns to Carnoustie next year before heading to Muirfield for the first time in 2022. Close to home, that would seem the perfect place for the North Berwick woman to sign off her major career.
“I’ve not really thought about that, to be honest, but it’s a nice one to go and play in,” she said, having certainly been a lot more enthusiastic about that history-making event earlier in the week.
“I think it’s been good to have women’s golf back on the TV and hopefully we can get a few more big events towards the end of the year,” she said, with two more women’smajorshavingbeen rescheduled.
Michele Thomson, the other Scot to make the cut in this one, was also disappointed with her weekend performance, signing off with scores of 80 and 76 to finish 74th on 22 over.
“Today was good apart from getting bitten by the Postage Stamp,” said the 33-year-old Aberdonian of taking a triple-bogey 6 at the iconic eighth hole.
“It’s not a pin to go at and I just turned it over a bit.
“I didn’t hole enough putts during the week and probably didn’t have my best stuff, but at least I’ve played four rounds in my first major.”
Admitting that has whetted her appetite for these big events, the former Scottish amateur champion, who picked up just over $5,500 for her week’s work, added: “It was kind of eerie out there as there is no one here, but it gives me a taste of it and I definitely want to be playing again at Carnoustie next year.
“The five venues they’ve just announced are all great golf courses and it would be brilliant to play at all of them.”
After two weeks in a “biobubble”, Thomson is looking forward to spending a couple of days at home before heading out to the Czech Republic for the Tipsport Ladies Open, won last year by Carly Booth.
“We’ve got three great events coming up with Switzerland and France after the one in the Czech Republic, so hopefully I can play some good golf,” she said.
AIG Women’s Open (Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 71)
277 Sophia Popov (Ger) 70 72 67 68
279 Jasmine Suwannapura (Tha) 71 72 69 67
281 Minjee Lee (Aus) 74 69 69 69
283 Inbee Park (Kor) 77 69 71 66
284 Austin Ernst (USA) 72 70 72 70
285 Momoko Ueda (Jpn) 75 75 68 67
286 Jennifer Song (USA) 74 74 68 70, Andrea Lee (USA) 74 73 70 69, Caroline Masson (Ger) 72 74 68 72, In Gee Chun (Kor) 72 75 70 69
287 Emily K Pedersen (Den) 71 72 72 72, Ashleigh Buhai (Rsa) 74 73 72 68, Kristen Gillman (USA) 75 72 68 72
288 Cydney Clanton (USA) 74 73 69 72, Marina Alex (USA) 70 79 72 67, Nelly Korda (USA) 72 72 73 71, Angela Stanford (USA) 73 74 73 68, Lydia Ko (Nzl) 72 71 72 73
289 Lindsey Weaver (USA) 71 72 71 75, Brittany Altomare (USA) 77 72 69 71, Lizette Salas (USA) 73 74 72 70
290 Caroline Inglis (USA) 75 71 73 71, Ariya Jutanugarn (Tha) 73 74 70 73, Alena Sharp (Can) 71 74 73 72, Haru Nomura (Jpn) 74 70 76 70, Katherine Kirk (Aus) 72 77 67 74, Megan Khang (USA) 75 70 72 73, Ally Mcdonald (USA) 74 75 75 66
291 Hannah Green (Aus) 75 72 73 71, Daniela Holmqvist (Swe) 71 70 77 73, Alison Lee (USA) 72 77 72 70
292 Yealimi Noh (USA) 72 73 73 74, Elizabeth Szokol (USA) 72 74 74 72, Anna Nordqvist (Swe) 71 74 73 74, Mi Hyang Lee (Kor) 76 71 77 68, Leeanne Pace (Rsa) 71 74 73 74, Danielle Kang (USA) 76 74 75 67, Jing Yan (Chn) 77 73 71 71
293 Jodi Ewart Shadoff 73 75 72 73, Perrine Delacour (Fra) 75 74 73 71, Dana Finkelstein (USA) 77 71 72 73, Stephanie Meadow 75 75 72 71, Azahara Munoz (Spa) 74 75 70 74, Melissa Reid 78 73 68 74
294 Amy Olson (USA) 67 81 75 71, Georgia Hall 73 76 74 71, Cheyenne Knight (USA) 76 75 71 72, Anne Van Dam (Ned) 77 72 73 72, Pernilla Lindberg (Swe) 75 75 74 70, Laura Fuenfstueck (Ger) 73 78 72 71
295 Jenny Shin (USA) 77 73 69 76, Celine Herbin (Fra) 74 75 73 73, Carlota Ciganda (Spa) 77 74 71 73, Amy Yang (Kor) 73 76 75 71, Bronte Law 80 70 72 73
296 Felicity Johnson 76 74 77 69, Moriya Jutanugarn (Tha) 77 73 70 76, Julieta Granada (Pry) 77 73 76 70
297 Nuria Iturrios (Spa) 71 74 74 78, Catriona Matthew 71 76 74 76, Morgan Pressel (USA) 77 74 71 75, Angel Yin (USA) 75 74 77 71, Gaby Lopez (Mex) 71 80 75 71
298 Emma Talley (USA) 77 73 74 74, Maria Torres (Pue) 76 72 79 71
Selected other:
306 Michele Thomson 73 77 80 76
ISPS HANDA Wales Open (Gbr & Irl unless stated, par 71)
276 Romain Langasque (Fra) 71 68 72 65
278 Sami Valimaki (Fin) 70 72 67 69
279 Matthew Jordan 69 72 72 66, David Dixon 70 70 71 68
280 Laurie Canter 71 69 72 68, Sebastian Soderberg (Swe) 68 70 68 74, Jamesmorrison 73 72 66 69
281 Jason Scrivener (Aus) 70 74 69 68, Haotong Li (Chn) 72 66 76 67, Connor Syme 66 70 70 75, Jorge Campillo (Spa) 75 68 69 69, Callum Shinkwin 68 75 71 67, Calum Hill 73 71 68 69, Gavin Green (Mal) 73 71 68 69
282 Marcus Kinhult (Swe) 69 71 72 70, Liam Johnston 70 68 75 69, Sebastian Heisele (Ger) 70 71 73 68, Ryan Fox (Nzl) 70 74 68 70, Louis De Jager (Rsa) 70 74 70 68, Thomas Pieters (Bel) 69 72 69 72
283 Craig Howie 74 69 69 71, Dean Burmester (Rsa) 72 71 68 72, Clement Sordet (Fra) 72 74 68 69, Mathieu Fenasse (Fra) 72 70 72 69, Bernd Ritthammer (Ger) 75 70 69 69, Daan Huizing (Ned) 70 73 72 68
284 Marcus Armitage 74 69 71 70, Lorenzo Scalise (Ita) 72 71 74 67, Sebastian Garcia Rodriguez (Spa) 73 70 69 72, Marcel Siem (Ger) 70 74 67 73, Brandon Stone (Rsa) 70 72 70 72, Chris Paisley 72 74 69 69, Renato Paratore (Ita) 69 72 74 69, Dale Whitnell 73 71 72 68, Jordan Smith 66 72 75 71, Edoardo Molinari (Ita) 72 70 68 74
Selected others:
285 Andrew Johnston 73 71 70 71, David Law 71 75 69 70
286 Richie Ramsay 73 72 70 71
288 Robert Macintyre 68 78 72 70, Daniel Young 73 72 70 73