Women's British Open by Catriona Matthew

Catriona Matthew

On the final day, it was almost as though Catriona Matthew had given herself a challenge. Serene and controlled throughout, she kept finding rough, kept finding bunkers, but each time she produced marvellous escapes.

With another CM, the German youngster Caroline Masson, hitting bogeys, the Scottish CM had made up a 6-shot deficit by the 12th.
The North Berwick golfer was even closing in on world number one Yani Tseng on the homeward nine but missed birdie chances on the 14th and 17th and hit a disappointing double-bogey on the eighteen - her 1st over-par hole in 2 days. She finished on 9-under, in joint fifth place.

Tseng won the Women's British Open by 4 shots at Carnoustie

 The 18th, it turned out, was also much in the mind of the Taiwanese victor. As she approached it with only the championship to lose, she admitted her thoughts had turned to Jean van De Velde and his infamous paddle at the same hole in 1999.

But a superb nine-iron found the green and the title was hers to keep. She is the first woman to have won the British Open two years in a row since it became an official major ten years ago. The stats - sixth under and a 4-shot gap over America's Brittany Lang.

Tseng has now won four of the last eight majors - at twentytwo, the youngest man or woman to have won 5. How many more? Well, start guessing the numbers.
Her target next year is the US Open. Her goal - to just keep on improving. That must be scary to the others who follow in her wake. Carnoustie, she says, should have been longer this week.
Tseng said she was honoured to win in Scotland - the home of golf. "I feel I did a well job and am proud of myself," said the Taiwanese. She has every right to be.
So too has Matthew. The first Scot to win a woman's major at the British two years ago, this was a Scottish golfer providing the crowds with tension, drama and excitement on the final day of a major - and how often can we say that?