Catriona Matthew - Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2009
The Scotsman -26 Sep 2020
Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew has accepted an invitation to become an Honorary Member of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews.
The Scot is one of four new honorary members, joining Ernie Els, Padraig Harrington and Nick Price. The quartet have won 11 major championships and are described by the Royal and Ancient Golf Club as “among the most successful and influential professional golfers of the modern era and... outstanding ambassadors for the sport”.
Matthew has achieved 11 professional victories in her career, with the pinnacle being her triumph at the Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes in 2009 when she was also named Ladies European Tour player of the year.
The North Berwick golfer has represented the European Solheim Cup team on nine occasions and was a member of three winning teams. In 2019, she captained the European team to a memorable 14 ½ - 13 ½ victor y at Gleneagles and will skipper the side again next year when they take on the United States in Toledo, Ohio.
Matthew also enjoyed a hugely successful amateur career, representing Great Britain and Ireland and was in the Curtis Cup on three occasions and winning the Women’s Amateur Championship.
She said: “I am absolutely thrilled to be made an Honorary Member of The Royal and Ancient Golf Club and I feel very privileged to be joining such an illustrious group of Honorary Members who are such renowned figures in the game of golf.
“I was fortunate enough to be one of the first recipients of an R& A Scholarship at the University of Stirling and it gave me some fantastic opportunities to develop my career as a young golfer.
“The Club and the R& A do so much to grow the game and I’m hugely supportive of the work they are doing to support women’s golf and particularly the AIG Women’s Open.”
