The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Carly’s target
Comrie golfer has point to prove at Scottish
THE ANNUAL homecoming this week offers different things to three prominent Scots but they are agreed the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Ladies Open could provide a further boost for the women’s game in this country.
Catriona Matthew, the defending champion at A rcherfield Links, is bidding for a third win in her national Open starting this morning, while juggling domestic duties at her nearby North Berwick home.
Kylie Walker has announced her arrival as a top threat in women’s golf with two victories on the European Tour this season in the Dutch and German Ladies’ Opens and is looking to show off her form and polished winning game to her own folk.
Meanwhile, Carly Booth, whose 2012 title punctuated Matthew’s two wins, is seeking a return to form after her victory two years ago appeared to earmark the Comrie girl as the elder stateswoman of Scottish golf’s successor in waiting.
Instead, for Carly — still, amazingly, just 22 — the last two years have been a struggle for form, with just six cuts made in her last 30 LET events. The best performance in that dispiriting stretch, however, was a tie for fourth behind Matthew at last year’s visit to A rcherfield.
“I’ve been working on some changes and I feel my game is getting close to be being very good,” she stressed.
“I just need to sharpen up my short game a bit. The confidence is in there somewhere, I know that and hopefully, I can have a good week here.
“I’ve obviously had good results here in the past and hopefully that will help bring out the best in me again. I feel that I’m close to producing the sort of form that can get me another win — it is going to come.”
Carly switched coaches to Luke Ringrose, based in London, at the end of March and there were some early signs of improvement.
“It has been frustrating because I’ve not had the results I’ve been looking for but it happens to the best of us. You just have to keep working hard and stay positive to get through it.
“Everyone in my team — family, coaches and my boyfriend — have helped me stay positive.”
Carly’s experience might be a salutary reminder for Kylie, five years older but with two wins this season that have been welcome vindication for her. There was a certain amount of relief to make the breakthrough but the second win was just as satisfying as it shows the hard work you have been putting in pays off in the end,” she said.
Walker held off new star Charley Hull to win in Germany and her confidence is skyhigh.
“I’m enjoying my golf so much now and having a lot of fun,” she added.
“It is really nice to play a tournament so close to home and have friends and family out watching.
It’s a course that I enjoy playing and have played well here a few times, too.”
It gives her the chance to see some of her
“Everyone in my team has helped me stay positive”
— Carly Booth
fans who cannott travel with her across the continent, such as her mentor and Scottish women’s amateur legend Belle Robertson, who will be watching today.
“Belle has been a great friend of mine for a number of years now,” added Kylie.
“She was a member of Buchanan Castle, where I started off and early on she took me under her wing and helped me along the way.
“I would like her to feel proud when she comes to see me this week and also see the improvement in my game.”
Matthew, on the other hand, finds the week at A rcherfield, her home course, “a little strange” although it’s hardly hampered her in the past.
“It’s the one time of the year you find yourself doing other things than just playing golf and that takes a bit of getting used to,” she said.
“This morning I was on the school run, as Sophie has just started. She’s got swimming lessons later and Katie had swimming club last night, so I have to fit the golf in round about it.”
Catriona is pleased to see the growing confidence of the younger Scottish players, with eight in the field at A rcherfield this week.
“I never felt as though I was carrying women’s golf in Scotland on my shoulders, I’ve just gone out and done my own stuff but it is great to see others starting to come through now.
“Kylie has obviously been playing well and Sally Watson, too while both Carly and myself are both former winners here.
“I think it is great to see so many Scottish players doing well this season.
Once one starts to play well it pushes the others, so it has a knock-on effect.
“When I started out, there was Kathryn (Imrie), Janice (Moodie) and Mhairi (McKay) and we spurred each other on, similar to what is happening at the moment I suppose.”
The LSO doubles its prize fund next year in a move to a slot prior to the Women’s British Open, a move Matthew greatly welcomes.
“Playing links before the British will be a help and A berdeen Asset increasing the prize-money is a great boost.
The support they gave right through the ranks from amateur golf into the professional game is great for Scottish golf.
“It has helped a lot of us. It has also helped the likes of Carly and Kylie as they have been coming through the ranks as it is that time you really need help.
“They have to be a little bit selective but if you have a great amateur career, you’ll have got to know some of the Aberdeen people so there is a possibility of securing their support as a professional.”