RICOH Women’s British Open at Royal Lytham& St Annes Golf Club

Catriona Matthew Champion !!

Matthew,with bogeys at 1 and 3, let many players in from the start of the last round. When she bogeyed the 10th hole,she was tied with the japanese Ai and Mika Miyazato at -1,and Karrie Webb(AUS) was at level par playing 17. For a little while scores stayed tight as nobody seemed to take control of the championship. Is there something called “scrambling offense in” golf ? There should be !

Matthew’s demeanor was the same as the past 2 days but her swing off the tee looked quicker, with less extension compare to the rythmical fluid motion that sent the ball on the center of the fairways on Friday and Saturday. After a “good bogey” at 10 she saved par at the 3rd with a 15’ putt.Then she drove on the left rough at the 13th and the 14th,got a half decent lie on both occasions,put the ball on the green and sank a 20 footer at 13 and a 50 footer at 14 for 2 birdies that put her at -3, 2 shots ahead of Ai Miyazato and Paula Creamer who birdied 15 and 16. How is that for scrambling? Matthew managed to keep the ball on the left edge of the fairway at the par 5 15th ,got home in 2 and 2 putt for a 3 shots lead. With 3 holes to go Matthew again finds the rough on 16 but makes par again and as Miyazato double bogeys 17 and Creamer also drops 2 shots at 18 the lead is now 4 over Karrie Webb who posted level par over an hour ago. Christina Kim who started at -1 was 1 shot from the lead at level par after 12 but never got anything going to threaten her playing partner. Drive in the left bunker at 17 and a bogey for Matthew.She puts 2 good shots together at 18 and almost makes birdie; par is more than enough for a 3 shots victory. Catriona Matthew is the 2009 RICOH Women’s British Open atRoyal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club. Karrie Webb is the runner up after shooting 68,the best round of the day.Hee-Won Han,Christina Kim,Paula Creamer and Ai Miyazato are tied 3rd at +1.

Matthew didn’t play well on this last round ,it was her poise and her recovering abilities that won the championship.She should have her putter gold plated !!