U.S SENIOR WOMEN'S OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP

July 28, 2021

Catriona Matthew

Brooklawn Country Club

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: We are joined by Catriona Matthew.

Catriona is competing in her first U.S. Senior Women's Open. You had to wait a year to make your debut in this championship, tell us a little bit about how it feels being here on-site finally now.

CATRIONA MATTHEW: Yeah, it's great to be here. Obviously, disappointed last year with everything that happened, not to be able to play, but delighted to be here and it's just great to see so many players I played on Tour with and even from my amateur days, the odd Curtis Cups and players. So it's just nice to have more contemporaries when I'm playing.

THE MODERATOR: What are your initial impressions of the course?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: It's a lovely course, actually. It's in fantastic shape. I think the greens are going to be the tricky thing. Very slopey kind of old style course. So obviously need to keep it below the pins.

THE MODERATOR: In a few weeks or a month or so here you'll be captaining the European Solheim Cup team and tomorrow you'll be playing with the with Pat Hurst, the American captain. How much of this year has been focused on captain responsibilities versus maybe your own playing.

CATRIONA MATTHEW: Pretty much all of it. I really haven't played. I played two weeks ago in London in a LET event and that was my first event since Troon at the British Open the year before. So I haven't been playing much myself, but been backwards and forwards watching some of the players in the LPGA majors. So been over here a few times, but just not playing.

THE MODERATOR: What are some of your expectations now being in the championship, competing in the championship in the first time in a few years since your last U.S. Women's Open.

CATRIONA MATTHEW: As I said, really looking forward to it. U.S. Open was always kind of my favorite events on Tour. It went to some great golf courses. I did quite well in a few of them. Never quite got to that No. 1 spot, so aim for that this week.

Q. So was that kind of bout on the LET kind of as prep for this week?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: Yeah, definitely. It was kind of, it was a strange format, a small individual team event, so I have to break myself in gently.

Q. You're one of few that still, and probably not as much in the last year with your captain responsibilities, that still kind of tries to go out and play pretty competitively. Is there a very distinct difference in the atmosphere between the LET and the LPGA and out here?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: I suppose, yeah, definitely there is, certainly with this event. This event it's a lot of seeing kind of old friends, really. I mean, people -- I played obviously in the LPGA for a long time and a lot of them stopped quite a few years ago, so it's nice to catch up and see them all again. Definitely more relaxed atmosphere out here.

Q. The captains group tomorrow, will you and Pat be kind of comparing notes at all or talking about the process of going through what you're going to be going through here in a month or so?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: Yeah, I've been fortunate, I've actually seen Pat I think at ANA and at the Women's Open and at KPMG. So we have seen each other a few times this year. But it will be nice to play with her, I think we were at the same Tour school back in '94 and played Curtis Cup with Sarah Ingram. So again it will be nice to see them.

Q. That finish at Gleneagles was one of the best I've ever seen in any event. How often do you relive that?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: It's amazing, with COVID actually Sky reshowed it a few times. So I still watch that putt of Suzann's and still wonder will she make it. But that kind of last half hour was just, it was really quite unbelievable. Kind of, it looked like a draw was going to be our best kind of result and then suddenly Brunty turning her match around, Dana winning and then obviously Suzann on the last. So, yeah, it was probably one of the highlights of my career, without a doubt.