Catriona Matthew will get her wish to captain the European team in a Solheim Cup on home soil after she was revealed as skipper for the matches at Gleneagles on September 13-15 2019 yesterday.
The 48-year-old Scot had been a short-odds favourite for the job for some time and those odds diminished even more after last month’s Solheim in Des Moines, when captain Annika Sorenstam said she wouldn’t seek a second term and Matthew revealed her eleventh-hour emergency call was her last playing appearance in the event.
It was her ninth Solheim, during which she completed a record of 22 points, third on the all-time list behind Dame Laura Davies and Sorenstam. Her win the Sunday singles in a losing cause left her with the most singles wins for Europe, tied for the most in the event with Juli Inkster.
“It’s a great honour and a dream come true to be the captain at home in Scotland,” she said when officially accepting the appointment from Ladies European Tour chairman Mark Lichtenhein yesterday.
“Since my first appearance in 1998, I have always loved playing in The Solheim Cup. It’s always such an incredible atmosphere and over the years that I’ve played, I’ve enjoyed it more and more.
“From the extremely high standard of play, to the enormous crowds, huge infrastructure and fantastic media coverage, the event just keeps getting bigger and better.
“Scotland will provide the perfect stage for The 2019 Solheim Cup and Gleneagles will be a terrific venue. I was lucky enough to win an event there on the King’s Course in 1998 and there is nothing better than winning in your home country.”
That win, in the McDonald’s WPGA Championship, was her maiden victory on the Ladies European Tour. She has won 10 international titles including on major, the 2009 Women’s British Open.
Matthew made her debut for Europe in 1998 and after missing one edition in 2002 has played in every event since, and has been on three winning European teams, in 2003, 2011 and 2013.
Last month she was a vice-captain for Sorenstam in the matches at Des Moines Country Club but doubled up as travelling alternate and was called into the team when Suzann Pettersen was unable to play through injury.
After winning three points for Europe Matthew said she had already decided on retiring from playing and would focus on a future captaincy.
Sorenstam, who was also Matthew’s first Solheim Cup partner at Muirfield Village in 1998, said she was delighted Matthew had been selected as her successor.
“I am very happy for Catriona, she has had a wonderful Solheim Cup career and she deserves the opportunity to take on this prestigious role,” said the Swede.
“With the next Solheim Cup taking place in Scotland, her home country, it’s the perfect scenario for her to lead the European Team. She helped us a lot over the past year as a vice-captain, but then stepped in and won us three points as a player. Catriona is very well respected by the players, so she is a natural choice.”
Lichtenhein, who has taken the reins of the LET in the last month, said: “Everyone at the Ladies European Tour is absolutely delighted that Catriona has accepted the captaincy.
“Her experience, combined with her outstanding record and passion for The Solheim Cup, make her the perfect choice to lead Team Europe and not just because, as a Scot, she will be leading on home soil.
“Catriona’s contribution to the European Team over nine editions has been immense and her performance in Des Moines was simply brilliant. As the captain, she will continue to inspire not just her own team, but millions of fans around the world.”
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon also paid tribute to the choice.
“Catriona is without doubt one of Scotland’s most successful sporting icons and I am delighted that she has been given the honour of captaining the European side in her home country,” she said.
“I have no doubt that Catriona will prove to be an inspiration as captain as she has done throughout her playing career and serve as a role model for thousands of junior golfers, not just in Scotland but across the globe. I’m confident the people of Scotland will get fully behind Catriona’s captaincy and line the fairways of Gleneagles in support of the European team come September 2019.”
John A. Solheim, Chairman and CEO of PING, the event’s founders, said Catriona was “an excellent and deserving choice.”
“As a nine-time participant in The Solheim Cup with an incredible record of 18-11-8, Catriona brings tremendous experience to a team that is determined to reclaim the event on home soil.
Leading the team in her home country of Scotland will undoubtedly inspire her and add even more excitement and passion to the galleries at Gleneagles which we know will be large and supportive. I’ve long admired Catriona’s calm, quiet and thoughtful approach to the game which will serve her very well as she prepares and motivates her team to reach its goal of winning The Solheim Cup.”
Matthew, from North Berwick, enjoyed a glirttering amateur career before joining the LET in 1995. She has suffered defeat in singles only twice, holing the putts that won the cup for Europe in 2003 and in 2013.
She becomes the 10th European captain, following Mickey Walker, Pia Nilsson, Dale Reid, Catrin Nilsmark, Helen Alfredsson, Alison Nicholas, Liselotte Neumann, Carin Koch and Sorenstam.
