May’s day as Scot stumbles
Catriona Matthew’s form dips as Ariya Jutanugarn tears into lead at Woburn, observes Kevin Ferrie
IT STARTED out as if it might become a golfing battle for the ages and turned into a generation game, with the experienced Catriona Matthew having to accede to the youthful fearlessness of Ariya Jutanugarn on the third day of the Women’s British Open at Woburn.
Ultimately the afternoon was to prove frustrating for the 2009 champion, as she failed to capitalise on a near-perfect start, birdieing three of the first four holes to move briefly into a share of the lead, but failing to register another thereafter as her 20-year-old playing partner pulled ahead, six shots separating them by the end.
However, the 46-year-old, who is bidding to become the oldest woman to win a major championship, has accrued more than enough wisdom in a career in which she left for America to join the LPGA Tour before the Thai youngster was born to know it can as easily turn around once again in the final round.
Having shot a best-of-the-day 65 in the second round, Matthew picked up where she left off by rolling in a 15-foot putt at the first, knocking the ball to five feet with her pitch to the long second, then sending her approach shot to six feet at the fourth to draw level with Jutanugarn, who had birdied both the second and third holes to leapfrog overnight leader Mirim Lee.
Jutanugarn then birdied the fifth to reclaim sole possession of first place and she was never to relinquish it, extending her advantage before the turn when she chipped in for a two at the short seventh that put clear water between her and the field, then registering two more at the 10th and 14th holes, and Matthew admitted to having felt some pressure as a result.
“I got off to a really good start then played OK for the next six or seven holes but couldn’t get the putts in, then had a couple of bad bogeys as a result of bad swings on the par three and par five [14th and 15th],” she observed.
“She was playing really well today and taking advantage of the good shots she was playing. You do feel it maybe a little bit. I maybe tried just a bit too hard on some of the putts to keep up with her.”
Matthew was generous with her praise of an opponent whose game fell apart after she suffered a serious shoulder problem as a result of a freak accident while trying to soak her sister and fellow professional Moriya with a water bottle a couple of seasons ago. But she returned in spectacular fashion this year when she became the first Thai woman to win in America, then carried on winning, earning herself the new nickname of “May”, having been the only winner on the LPGA Tour that month.
“I played a lot with her last year. We seemed to get paired just about every week,” said Matthew.
“Obviously she’s got a tonne of confidence at the moment. Golf at this level, a lot of it comes down to that. After those three wins, you can just tell she’s very confident where she just stands up and hits the ball. I don’t think she looks as though she’s thinking about it as much now as she perhaps was last year.
“She’s decided not to hit the driver. Last year she was struggling a bit with it, but now there’s no indecision, she just picks the two iron and rips it as far as my drive. It’s pretty impressive. I’m hitting my Sunday best drives and hoping to sneak past her.”
Just as was the case when the third round got under way, however, only three players are ahead of Matthew as the final round gets under way, so for all that the deficit is six shots, she knows that things can turn around again.
“A lot will depend on how May plays tomorrow, but if I can go out and shoot a low number, you never know,” she said.
Korea’s Lee, who led by three shots after a 10-under-par first round 62 and was still a shot ahead at the halfway stage, remains well placed a couple of shots behind on 14-under-par, while American Mo Martin, playing in this event for the first time since winning it in 2014 after missing out through injury last year, registered a 69 to move into third place on 11-under.
If, however, the leader can remain as relaxed as she appeared, they will find her tough to catch.
“I think it’s no pressure for me because the only thing I want is to have fun, so one more day I want to have fun,” she said.
In aiming to become the first Thai golfer to win a Major she joked that she that has the added incentive of aiming to earn herself the new nickname of “July”.
You do feel it. I maybe tried just a bit too hard on some of the putts to keep up with her