Sponsors abandon Open hero Matthew

CATRIONA Matthew has revealed her disappointment at failing to secure any sort of sponsorship on the back of becoming the first Scottish woman to win a major and says she is sure the same thing wouldn't have happened if she was a man.

Speaking yesterday at Royal Birkdale, where she will defend her Ricoh Women's British Open title from 29 July-1 August, Matthew conceded that her historic triumph at Royal Lytham last summer had certainly not generated the level of backing that Paul Lawrie, for instance, enjoyed after he won the Open Championship at Carnoustie in 1999.

Matthew's sole income outwith earnings is helping to promote Golf Live, an event jointly run by IMG, her management company, this weekend at Stoke Park, where the 40-year-old will link up with the likes of Colin Montgomerie, Ian Poulter and Paul Casey in a showcase of the game.

Matthew was backed for a spell by VisitScotland, but the national tourist agency ended their support before her triumph in Lancashire and, despite that success, Scotland's best ever woman golfer has been unable to attract any new sponsorship whatsoever.

"It is a little disappointing and is maybe down to the fact these are tough economic times for everyone," she said. "If it had been a man winning the Open it might have been different, but what can you do? All I can do is go out and play my best golf."

Between now and the defence of her major title Matthew will mainly be trying to do that on the LPGA Tour. She starts a near two-month stint on the other side of the Atlantic by playing in next week's match play event in New Jersey before heading to Brazil to defend the other crown she won last year.

She's back in Europe for the Evian Masters and Irish Women's Open as well as the Ricoh event, but Matthew will not be teeing up at Archerfield Links, her home club, when it stages the Ladies' Scottish Open on 20-22 August. "It is not going to fit in this year, unfortunately," she said. "It is great having the event back but, with fewer tournaments on the LPGA Tour this year, it is tough to miss them.

"There are so many limited-field events at the start and end of a season now and to get into them you really need to finish in the top 50 on the money-list. The Safeway Classic in Oregon, one of our bigger events, is the one opposite the Ladies' Scottish Open and then there's the Canadian Women's Open, a huge event, the week after that.

"I found that when we took (oldest daughter] Katie over to the west coast, it takes her two or three days to get over the jet lag. We are taking both the girls on this trip and have decided it wasn't going to work out getting them over their jet lag and giving me the best chance to play well in those two events.

"It's just unfortunate. If the Ladies' Scottish Open had been in April or May it would have been a quieter time for me, but I can't go out to the west coast of America the day before events like that having jet lag and also expect the girls to sleep through the night."

Matthew's victory at Lytham came just 11 weeks after she'd given birth to her second daughter, Sophie. She celebrates her first birthday this Sunday and Matthew admits it is helpful to be able to relax with her family after a day's work. "They probably travel 75 per cent of the time and it's nice having them with you," she said. "Luckily, they've both been good sleepers, too."

While she has other big events coming up – the US Women's Open at Oakmont, for instance – Matthew is already looking forward to being back at Royal Birkdale to defend a title that has earned her increased recognition around the world over the last ten months. "I've definitely been recognised a bit more, normally when I'm waiting on my clubs at an airport carousel," she said. "It's nice as it's a sign you've done well and I'm not exactly being hounded."

The Southport course will be staging the Women's British Open for the fifth time and, despite the recent retiral of world No 1 Lorena Ochoa, Matthew knows she'll have her work cut out to make a successful defence of her crown in a field that will include Yani Tseng, winner of the year's first major, Ai Miyazato, Suzann Pettersen, Cristie Kerr and Michelle Wie.

"Now I've won a major I can relax a bit and not put too much pressure on myself," said the North Berwick woman, who recently started working with Kevin Craggs after deciding it would be easier to be coached by someone at home rather than waiting until she was in America to see Dave Whelan. "Defending adds a bit of pressure but I want to put up a good defence and hopefully win it again. The victory last year has given me a bit more confidence – it's put a spring in my step."

Ending on a sombre note, Matthew said she'd been shocked to learn about the death of LPGA Tour player Erica Blasberg at the weekend. "I didn't know her particularly well but played in a Lexus Cup with her a few years back," she said. "She was a very nice girl and I couldn't believe it when I heard she had died."