Golf: Horror ten at the 13th ends Matthew's title defence

Published on Saturday 31 July 2010 14:06

Catriona Matthew's defence of the Ricoh Women's British Open ended with a horror ten at the 13th hole in the second round at Royal Birkdale.

A round of 81 and a missed cut on 12 over par was a hugely disappointing end to her year's reign as the first Scot to win a major title. Rather fittingly, the round ended in lashing rain – weather to match her gloom.

"But there is one positive," she said before jumping in the car with husband and caddie Graeme and driving home to North Berwick. "At least we get home to see (daughters) Katie and Sophie tonight.

"We've been away for a fortnight and they've been staying with my parents. They won't care that I had a ten."

Heading the chase to take over the title from the 40-year-old Scot is Taiwan's Yani Tseng. She shot a second successive 68 and romped four clear of the field on eight under par. The only Scot to make the cut was Janice Moodie on four over.

Matthew's sextuple bogey started with a drive into a bramble bush. She then hit a third shot into knee-high rough and took three hacks before taking a penalty drop. She finally made the green in eight and two-putted.

"It's certainly not the way I would have liked to have defended the title," continued a typically philosophical Matthew, who was more than willing to recount the nightmare hole.

"After the ten I still had five holes to go but the rain was lashing and there was no way I could make the cut.

"Graeme and I didn't say a lot down the final few holes – there wasn't much to talk about.

"It's a shame because I had been hitting it so well on the range but just couldn't take it on to the course and I couldn't hole a putt."

Musselburgh's Vikki Laing was another caught out in the worse of the weather and she slumped to an 80 and missed the cut by four on nine over par. She didn't have a ten but did run up a triple-bogey seven at the eighth and a double at the 16th.

Archerfield's Lynn Kenny also shot 80 for 14 over after and Fifer Krystle Caithness, the fifth Scot in the field, was on 15 over following an 82.

Moodie was first out – when the weather was at its best – and had a 76 for four over par. She four-putted the final hole for a bogey six – she had made eagle in round one – and was a distant 12 shots behind the Tseng.

Three players shared second place on four under. Brittany Lincicome and Amy Yang both shot 71, while LPGA Champion, Cristie Kerr, had a best-of-championship 67.

Laura Davies and Becky Brewerton were the best of the British players. But a second successive home victory seems unlikely as they are both ten off the lead.

Davies, the 1986 champion, had a 74, while Wales' Brewerton, who had a double-bogey seven at the 17th, had a 73.