Catriona Matthew has not given up hope of playing Muirfield as a member

Former Ryder Cup hero Paul Lawrie beat 2019 Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew in a challenge match at his golf centre.

Speaking as she took on Paul Lawrie in an exhibition match in Aberdeen, the  Solheim Cup captain acknowledged that she probably wasn’t included among the initial 12 women members due to the fact that no male professional has ever been offered membership.

“I think it’s obviously great that they’ve got some women in now,” said Matthew. “They’ve done a lot to their clubhouse and it’s meant to be looking fantastic, so hopefully they’re the first of many.

“Obviously, I would love to be a member. It’s one of the best golf courses so it would be great to be able to play there whenever I wanted, but you just never know. We’ll wait and see. I think it’s different, how it works, with being a professional. They maybe need to look into how all that works.”

Before teeing off in the match at his golf centre on the outskirts of  Aberdeen, Lawrie revealed he’d become an official ambassador for the Solheim Cup, which takes place at Gleneagles in September.

“It’s a huge honour to be asked to do a little bit of help and I’m looking forward to it,” said Lawrie, who played on two winning Ryder Cup teams. “It’s always nice to be a small part of a big  sporting event in Scotland, so it’s pretty cool.

“I think it’s massive for the whole country. There’s a whole equality issue going on at the moment with ladies’ and men’s sport, so to have a tournament of that size in Scotland after the Ryder Cup being there in 2014 should be huge for  everyone. I hope the  country gets behind Catriona and the team and I’m sure they will.”

Matthew, who lost the match in aid of the Paul Lawrie Foundation 3&2 as her host was round in three-under, said: “To have someone of Paul’s stature put his weight behind the event is great and if that can spur a few more people to come out and watch and support then so much the better.

“Until people come to an event like a Ryder Cup or Solheim Cup they just don’t realise how different it is from a regular tour event. The crowds get far more into it, so to come and get the excitement and the atmosphere will be a great experience for them.”