Visa problems rule Catriona

out of Ladies Scottish Open

FROM THE SCOTSMAN WEBSITE

By MIKE AITKEN
Catriona Matthew, Scotland's leading woman golfer, is set to miss the second staging of the revived Ladies Scottish Open at the Carrick on Loch Lomond next month because of complications surrounding a US work visa.
Since becoming a member of the LPGA in 1995 and basing her career in the States, the North Berwick golfer has been granted two temporary work permits by the US authorities to play in that part of the world.

The second permit expires this month and government regulations prohibit issuing a third.

Instead, Matthew has applied for a green card, the permanent resident document which enables foreigners to work and live in America.

However, the bureaucratic process grinds slowly and Matthew has not yet received the new permit.The reason this will likely prevent her travelling to Scotland for the Ladies Scottish Open sponsored by Aberdeen Asset from 1-3 May is because she can't take the chance of missing out on key LPGA tournaments such as the next major, the McDonald's LPGA, in early June.

"Catriona is really disappointed," said her manager, Brian Marchbank of 110sport, yesterday. "She wants to play at the Carrick. But the timing of this situation is horrible and we can't take the chance."