Catriona Matthew Bio
Catriona Isobel Matthew OBE is a Scottish professional golfer who competes primarily on the US-based LPGA Tour while also maintaining membership on the Ladies European Tour. Born in Edinburgh and raised in North Berwick, she turned professional in 1995 after a distinguished amateur career and has since become one of Scotland’s most respected figures in women’s golf. Matthew is best known for winning the 2009 Ricoh Women’s British Open, becoming the first Scottish player to capture a women’s major championship. She later served as European captain at both the 2019 and 2021 Solheim Cup, leading her side to victory on American soil in 2021.
Early Life and Background
Catriona Isobel Matthew was born on 25 August 1969 in Edinburgh, Scotland, and grew up in the coastal town of North Berwick. She learned the game of golf on the Children’s Course and the North Berwick West Links, two local venues that helped shape her early development as a player. Her junior and amateur career was highly successful, including the Scottish Girls championship in 1986 and the Scottish Under-21 Stroke Play title in both 1988 and 1989.
Matthew captured the Scottish Amateur title three times, in 1991, 1993, and 1994, and added the British Amateur title in 1993. She was also a two-time winner of the St Rule Trophy played at St Andrews. She represented Great Britain and Ireland on the Curtis Cup teams of 1990, 1992, and 1994, gaining valuable experience in match-play competition. Matthew graduated from the University of Stirling in 1992, where she studied accountancy, with the university being one of the few British institutions offering golf scholarships at the time.
Path to Professional Golf
Following her strong amateur record, Matthew set her sights on the professional ranks and qualified for the LPGA Tour by tying for fifth at the 1994 LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament, earning exempt status for the 1995 season. That same year she also qualified for the Ladies European Tour, establishing a dual-tour career that would define her playing schedule. Her best seasons on the money list came in 2001 and 2005, when she finished tenth overall, signaling her arrival among the elite players on the LPGA Tour.
Matthew won her maiden professional title at the 1996 Holden Women’s Australian Open, confirming her readiness to compete at the highest level. She added the 1998 McDonald’s WPGA Championship on the Ladies European Tour, further broadening her international résumé. These early wins laid the foundation for what would become a long and decorated career across both major tours.
Catriona Matthew Career
Early Career (1995-2006)
Matthew’s first decade as a professional was marked by steady progress on the LPGA Tour and consistent appearances for Europe in the Solheim Cup. She was a member of the 1998 Solheim Cup team and served as first reserve for the 2000 matches held in her native Scotland, narrowly missing out on a playing role. She was a captain’s pick for the 2003 European team and contributed the Cup-winning point, and she was again a captain’s pick in 2005. Matthew also qualified outright for the 2007, 2009, and 2011 Solheim Cup teams, becoming a regular presence in the biennial contest.
During this period she partnered with fellow Scot Janice Moodie to represent Scotland at the 2005 and 2006 Women’s World Cup of Golf. She was also a member of the International team captained by Annika Sörenstam that won the inaugural Lexus Cup. Her strong amateur pedigree, combined with growing professional experience, positioned her as one of Europe’s most reliable competitors heading into the late 2000s.
LPGA Tour Breakthrough (2007-2011)
Matthew won the 2007 Scandinavian TPC hosted by Annika Sörenstam, confirming her ability to contend on the biggest stages. In January 2009, she captured the inaugural HSBC LPGA Brasil Cup, an unofficial event, while five months pregnant with her second child, a remarkable display of competitive form. That same year she won the Ladies European Tour Player of the Year award and the Heather Farr Player Award, recognizing both her on-course success and her sportsmanship.
On 2 August 2009 at Royal Lytham and St Annes, Matthew won the Ricoh Women’s British Open with a final score of three-under-par, one stroke ahead of Karrie Webb. The victory came only eleven weeks after she gave birth to her second daughter, Sophie, making the achievement one of the most celebrated comebacks in women’s golf. The title was her first major championship and made her the first Scottish player, male or female, to win a women’s major tournament. She added a fourth LPGA title at the 2011 Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Mexico, further cementing her late-career resurgence.
Solheim Cup Captaincy (2013-2021)
At the 2013 LPGA Championship, Matthew finished runner-up after losing a sudden-death playoff to world number one Inbee Park, having come from seven strokes behind during the final round. In July 2016, she was named a vice-captain for the 2017 Solheim Cup but ended up playing in the match after an injury to Suzann Pettersen. On 21 September 2017, she was announced as captain of the European team for the 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles, which Europe won.
In October 2019, Matthew was named Solheim Cup captain for 2021. On 6 September 2021, she led the European team to a memorable victory over the United States at Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio, capping one of the most successful stretches of her career and confirming her stature as a leading figure in European golf.
Driving Style and Strengths
Matthew is widely regarded as a composed and strategic player whose strengths lie in accurate iron play and steady course management. Her match-play record, including the Cup-winning point at the 2003 Solheim Cup and her leadership as captain in 2019 and 2021, reflects a calm temperament under pressure. Her long partnership with husband Graeme Matthew, who has served as her caddie, has also shaped her approach to tournament preparation and on-course decision-making.
Notable Events and Milestones
Matthew’s most celebrated moment came at the 2009 Ricoh Women’s British Open, where she became the first Scottish player to win a women’s major championship. Her 2021 Solheim Cup victory at Inverness Club stands as another defining milestone, as does her 2003 Solheim Cup-winning point. She was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in the 2010 New Year Honours and Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2020 New Year Honours for services to golf.
Catriona Matthew Career Wins
Across her career, Catriona Matthew has accumulated professional victories on both the LPGA Tour and the Ladies European Tour, with her major title at the 2009 Ricoh Women’s British Open serving as the centerpiece. Her wins reflect a player who peaked in her late thirties and early forties, combining experience with resilience.
LPGA Tour Highlights
Matthew secured four LPGA Tour titles during her career, beginning with the 1996 Holden Women’s Australian Open and including the 2007 Scandinavian TPC hosted by Annika, the 2009 HSBC LPGA Brasil Cup, and the 2011 Lorena Ochoa Invitational in Mexico. Her best seasons on the money list came in 2001 and 2005, when she finished tenth overall.
Ladies European Tour and Other Wins
On the Ladies European Tour, Matthew won six titles, including the 1998 McDonald’s WPGA Championship and several other events across her long career. She was named Ladies European Tour Player of the Year in 2009, the same season in which she received the Heather Farr Player Award from the LPGA.
Catriona Matthew Family
Family Background and Racing Lineage
Matthew is married to Graeme Matthew, who has long served as her caddie on tour and is a central figure in her professional career. The couple have two daughters: Katie Jessica Matthew, born on 18 December 2006, and Sophie Lauren Matthew, born on 16 May 2009. The family resides in North Berwick, Scotland, the town where Catriona first learned the game.
Personal Life
In July 2009, Matthew and her husband escaped a fire at the hotel where they were staying during the Evian Masters, an incident in which Graeme suffered burns to his feet and was unable to caddie for two rounds. Despite such challenges, the family has remained closely involved in her golf career, with Graeme continuing to play a key role on her bag at major championships and Solheim Cup events.
2025 Season Performance
Entering 2025, Catriona Matthew remains involved in the game at a high level, drawing on a lifetime of experience across the LPGA Tour and Ladies European Tour. While her playing schedule has scaled back in recent seasons, her legacy as the first Scottish woman to win a major and as a two-time Solheim Cup-winning captain continues to influence European golf. Her ongoing contributions, including mentorship and leadership roles, ensure her presence remains meaningful in the sport’s broader narrative.
Matthew’s enduring connection to the Solheim Cup, having served as captain in both 2019 and 2021, keeps her closely tied to one of the premier events in women’s golf. Players and captains alike continue to draw on her example of calm leadership and competitive resilience. Her OBE, awarded in 2020, further reflects the respect she has earned for her services to golf in Scotland and beyond.