Matthew tames Troon tempest
Sportsmail DEREK LAWRENSON
CATRIONA Matthew was an inspiration for new mums everywhere when she won the AIG Women’s Open in 2009, just 11 weeks after giving birth.
All these years on, it was surely the turn of the silver swingers to be given a lift as she skilfully mastered the tempest at Troon in the first round yesterday.
A few days shy of her 51st birthday, Europe’s Solheim Cup captain revelled in the chance to bring out all the shots she learned growing up on the fabled links at North Berwick.
On a fascinating day featuring plenty of big-name casualties, including Americans Lexi Thompson (78), Stacy Lewis (76) Korean Inbee Park (77), and British hopes Charley Hull (76), Meg MacLaren (78) and Bronte Law (80), the Scot was one of the few to match the strict par of 71. Georgia Hall, another former winner who loves links days like this, shot a useful 73.
Only Amy Olson emerged from the pack with a superb 67 to lead by three shots from fellow American Marina Alex and Sophia Popov of Germany.
Matthew said afterwards if she’d been at home in North Berwick and the weather so inclement, she’d have stayed indoors and chortled ‘at all the idiots going out to play’.
Instead, she put on a links masterclass. On a tough course protected by winds gusting over 30mph, how on earth do you play 18 holes without missing a fairway? Matthew complemented her perfect driving display with some exquisite examples of knockdown shots into the wind, including a sawn-off fairway wood from 160 yards at the 12th that was a delight.
‘As much by skill as by strength’ is the Royal Troon gospel and
Matthew, 26 years since she last played the course in competition, lived up to the club motto.
The trick is usually to make a score over the first six holes and then hang on over the back six but here the forbidding wind came from the opposite direction.
Thanks to some sensible decisions regarding course set-up by the R&A, it never became unplayable. Rather, it gave the thinkers and shotmakers a chance to show their wares.
Hall was paired with Nelly Korda, the American with the catwalk looks and model golf swing to match. Their wildly different approach made for an intriguing contrast. Hall got her Christian name following Sir Nick Faldo’s third Masters win in Georgia in 1996 — she was born the same weekend — but here she played links golf like the three-time Open champion, eschewing all risk.
‘I started slowly but I thought I did a good job of executing my game plan,’ said the 24-year-old from Bournemouth, who won at Lytham in 2018.
Korda, the world No4, played aggressively, taking on the cavernous fairway bunkers and was rightly delighted with her 72.
‘Being so tall, it was hard for me to stand up at times let alone swing the club,’ said the 22-yearold, the stand-out American Solheim Cup player on her last visit to Scotland last year.
Gutsiest round of the day surely came from another American Danielle Kang, the world No 2 who has finished first, first and fifth in the three women’s events staged post-lockdown.
She looked in for a rude awakening on this occasion at seven over par for 15 holes but a spectacular eagle, birdie, birdie finish changed the complexion dramatically.