AIG WOMEN'S OPEN

August 5, 2022

Catriona Matthew

Mixed Zone

Q. Not many days you make two 2s at Muirfield, is it?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: I know, played the par 3s well. I played not too bad today. Obviously made a few birdies. You know, missed a couple of 8-footers for par, and birdie on 5, which I needed. With being 5-over, you couldn't afford to give anything back. Then a bad double on 14 and that was it, all over.

Q. The type of thing that can happen, going along nicely, and then...

CATRIONA MATTHEW: Yeah.

Q. Just generally, the two days, have you enjoyed the two days?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: Yeah, I've enjoyed it. It's been good. Nice to be playing here and see everyone playing here. I'm impressed with the scoring. I think the scoring has been really pretty good considering. I'd say it's pretty windy out there.

Q. How many more would you ponder now? Is it St Andrews next year, two years?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: Two years.

Q. You'd probably stay for that hopefully?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: Yeah, probably. Don't like to give too much away -- it's 60. Got a few years.

Q. Do you still get motivated to try and compete or what's your sort of mindset these days?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: I mean, obviously it's tough to compete out here when you're not playing week-in, week-out. You know, they are, and they are the best players in the world, so you can't expect to come out -- obviously a goal for me this week would have been to make the cut if I'm being realistic.

I had a little chance there at the turn and just didn't quite happen. I think it's good preparation for the Senior Open in a way, getting a few rounds in, and it's always different having to take a score under tournament conditions.

Q. When is that Senior Open?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: Three weeks. So I'm playing in Spain and then go straight out there.

Q. You talked about Laura, Louise; Gemma dug deep today, 69. Do you see her gaining confidence?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: Absolutely. I played a nine-hole practice round with her on Monday. She's really settled into the LPGA now. You see her week-in, week-out, she's up there and hopefully one of these weeks she might just get all four rounds together. I was impressed how she was playing Monday, very tidy, not doing anything wrong, which is key.

Q. There's a group of the 1,2,3 players and the 4, 5,6; you were playing in the fan favorite group.

CATRIONA MATTHEW: Must have been Louise.

Q. What does that say about the local appreciation by Scots that they will follow you and not be distracted by other major groups?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: Obviously Louise playing well helped and that will bring more people out to our group to watch. It's natural. The first two days, you're going to watch and I don't think it would matter what country you're in. People like watching their home favorites. As the weekend comes, they will gravitate towards the lead groups and will be able to see the top six in the world on the weekend.

Q. Do you enjoy playing the role of someone who gets to look down on the next generation?

CATRIONA MATTHEW: Yeah, it would be great to see Gemma, obviously coming through on the LPGA and obviously Louise just turning pro, yeah, it would be great to see some of them come on and really push on and push for winning tournaments and majors and Solheim team. It would be fun to watch.