ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – It’s impossible to overstate the brilliance of Catriona Matthew’s major championship victory 15 years ago at Royal Lytham & St. Annes. She became the first Scot to win the Ricoh Women’s British Open just 11 weeks after giving birth to her second child.
Matthew’s Sunday night celebration involved a joyful 3 a.m. feeding at the kitchen table with her mom and daughter Sophie, a cup of tea and the trophy sitting nearby.
“I couldn’t even swing a golf club until nine weeks after birth,” said Stacy Lewis, the last mom to win on the LPGA four years ago. “I couldn’t imagine winning a golf tournament 11 weeks after having a child. I mean, that in itself is so impressive.”
Husband Graeme rightly notes that had Matthew pulled off such a feat in today’s viral age, when women’s sports enjoys a much higher profile, it would’ve been a far bigger story that it was in 2009, when British papers hailed her as a “supermum.”
“It’s probably not until you look back and reflect on it you think, God, how did I do that?” said Matthew. “Even now, myself and Graeme look back and think how did we travel with them both, traveling on tour with the two of them and all the luggage and up in the middle of the night with them. You wonder how on earth you ever managed to play any semi-decent golf.”
Catriona Matthew with daughters, two-year-old Katie and 11-week-old Sophie at Archerfield Links golf club on August 4, 2009, in Dirleton, Scotland. (Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images)
This week, at the venerable Old Course, Matthew will make her 30th and final appearance in the AIG Women’s British Open, which became a major in 2001. She’ll no doubt have a moment on the Swilcan Bridge to celebrate a career that included four LPGA victories, 104 top-10 finishes and two wildly successful stints as Solheim Cup captain. This will be her final LPGA appearance, though she will continue to play some senior golf.
With Matthews’ two daughters – Katie and Sophie – starting back to school on Thursday, both are keen for mom to make the cut. At 54, Matthew is exempt to play until she’s 60, but with such a small senior schedule available for female players, it’s tough to stay sharp.
“I think probably, in a way, a little bit of a mixture of relief, knowing myself that this will be the last one I’m going to play in,” said Matthew.
“Obviously you’ll be a little sad that you’re not in the event. It’s so big now and it’s…
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