Medal rush
Another epic day in Rio for Team GB:
ATOuGH act to follow and no mistake, but Catriona Matthew and Charley Hull will draw on some of the tools that helped Justin Rose to success when they begin their quest today to claim the second gold medal awarded to a golfer in the last 112 years.
The two Team GB golfers in the women’s competition fall at opposite ends of the age spectrum and it wasn’t hard to spot the difference when asked whether Rose’s stirring triumph will prove inspirational.
While 20-year-old Hull (below) looked aghast that it could be considered anything else — ‘of course it will, duh,’ or words to that effect, she said — 46-year-old Matthew offered the view of experience.
‘It could be either inspirational or daunting but I’m certainly hoping it’s the former,’ said Scotland’s greatest-ever woman golfer.
‘I loved watching it, for sure. Seeing Justin win was a real boost for golf.
‘To see Justin claim gold and then watch Andy Murray in person win his gold later that night as well made it a fantastic day on every level.
‘I also went to the athletics and saw Mo Farah and Jessica EnnisHill the night before, so I’ve been having a good time!’
Rose and Danny Willett have both left their yardage books and notes behind for Matthew and Hull.
In an example of the attention to detail that went into Rose’s win, his studious caddie Mark Fulcher rose at dawn each day to study the pin positions and that forensic mapping of the greens will be passed on by Team GB’s manager Jamie Spence, as well. ‘A large part of the course the girls can work out for themselves but there are six or seven holes where you have to be very careful and the knowledge Justin and Danny gleaned should be useful,’ he said. While neither player would be bracketed as strong a gold medal prospect as Rose, they are both more than capable of getting into contention come Sunday. Hull has been given an eye-catching draw alongside world No1 Lydia Ko and nearly all her best moments in her still-fledgling career have come when she has pulled on representative colours. While representing Great Britain in the Curtis Cup and Europe in the Solheim Cup, she has mustered 10 wins against two losses. ‘I’ve always enjoyed the team aspect although here we’re playing stroke play rather than match play,’ she said. ‘But you get the same buzz meeting up with the other Team GB athletes. You can see everyone is on a high and let’s hope that we can add to it. ‘It’s great to be here. You’d be mad not to play if you had the chance.’ Matthew agrees wholeheartedly. ‘Being a golfer, this was never something you aspired to or dreamed of,’ admitted the Scot. ‘But my two daughters think it’s very cool. Winning a golf tournament wasn’t as cool as being an Olympian.
‘I feel my chances are pretty good. I’ve been playing well this year. I’m going in with a lot of confidence.
‘But all the top women are here. It’s a top field for us and everyone’s going to want to win that gold medal for their country.’
After all the withdrawals among the men citing the Zika virus, there’s a rich irony in the presence of Matthew despite an awful experience the last time she played in Brazil at the hands of the mosquitoes.
‘I got bitten when I played here in 2010 and had an allergic reaction with both my legs swelling up,’ she said. ‘I ended up in hospital and it was scary but it was fine once they gave me something.
‘I never gave a moment’s thought to pulling out or worrying about Zika.
‘For a start, we (Matthew and her husband and caddie Graeme) have two children and we don’t plan to have any more. But my experience last time happened in the summer. It’s winter now, so there’s little chance of getting bitten.’
Indeed, the only thing we have all been bitten by down here so far is the Olympic golf bug. The next four days should be good as well, with all eyes on Ko, who has certainly got into the spirit. She followed the Kiwi men over the weekend and got to spend some time with Rose on Sunday.
‘I was hoping the magic he showed might rub off a little if I talked to him,’ she said. ‘If I win a gold medal of my own, I might never take it off. I might have to come up with a new swing to cope with it moving from side to side while I’m playing.’
Watch out for American Lexi Thompson and her playing partner, Brooke Henderson of Canada, only just 18 but already ranked world No3. It’s going to be fascinating to see how they all get on against the formidable Asian contingent,