CATRIONA MATTHEW KEEPS HOME FIRES BURNING WITH A 68

    CATRIONA MATTHEW ... birdie-birdie finish

                    Picture by Cal Carson Golf Agency


Catriona Matthew, thanks to a birdie-birdie finish at the Old Course, kept the home fires burning at the end of very low scoring opening day in the Ricoh Women's British Open golf championship at St Andrews today (Thursday).
The course, with little or no wind to protect it, was a sitting duck for the best female professionals in the world who could throw their approach shots at the greens with dartboard accuracy, knowing the balls would bite on landing on the soft surfaces.
Catriona's four-under-par 68 was by no means the beIst of the day but it kept the North Berwick 43-year-old, well in the mix on a day when the championship could not be won but certainly it could be lost by dropping too many shots off the
"It's always nice to finish with two birdies, especially one at the Road Hole, the 17th, this year being a par 4, so very nice to get a 3 there. And also nice to hole a birdie putt of about 10ft at the last," said Catriona.
"Overall I have to say I am pretty pleased with myself.  I think this is going to be the easiest day from the weather forecast and nice to see a few birdies on the board.
"I holed a good putt to save par on the 16th and the gave me the momentum going into the last two holes."
Matthew, whose husband Graeme was caddieing, is not for blowing her own trumpet. She likes to let her clubs do most of the talking but she agrees that she is playing well enough to win the Ricoh Women's British Open for a second time.
"I would say my form is probably the best it's ever been.  Maybe my golf is maturing like me.
"I've had two weeks at home so I've been able to play more links golf, at North Berwick in the evenings, than I usually have coming into this championship. The kids (Catriona has two daughters) have had me on the beach all the time.
Was that as easy as the Old Course will every play?
"Yeah, there really wasn't much wind out there.  I really felt as though I had to try to take advantage and post a good score today, because I think the forecast is for wind to come the next few days. Yes, I've obviously played the Old Course a lot of times over the years and that was about the easiest of scoring conditions that I can remember ... but you still have to get the ball in the hole and stay out of the pot bunkers."
She had six birdies in all = at the second, third, sixth, seventh, 17th and 18th in halves of 33 (three under)
Matthew bogeyed the fourth and the 10th.

CARLY SET FOR EARLY EXIT AT ST ANDREWS

Carly Booth will almost certaly miss the cut at the end of the second round of the Ricoh Women's British Open championship at St Andrews.

On a day of birdies galore, the 21-year-old Majorca-based player from Comrie, Perthshire, shot not one in returning a lackluster, error-strewn 78, which had her sharing the bottom place in the field of 144 with Spain's Beatriz Recari.

At the end of this month, Carly will be defending the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Ladies Open at Archerfield Links.

Regrettably, any semblance of consistent form has deserted her this season.

Earlier this week she rose to the occasion under pressure to hole a birdie putt in a Final Qualifying play-off after returning a three-under-par 69.

But that sort of brilliance just wasn't there on the Old Course today.

A double bogey 7 at the fifth seemed to knock the stuffing out of her. She immediately dropped another shot at the next hole and was three over par 39 to the turn. A barrage of birdies was called for to retrieve the situation but, instead Carly bogeyed the 11th 12th and 17th for 39 home.

The talent is still there. Bringing it to the surface again on a more regular basis is the problem she has to solve.