Decorated Solheim Cup captain to lead home side at Sunningdale
Double Solheim Cup-winning captain Catriona Matthew will lead the Great Britain and Ireland team in the 2024 Curtis Cup at Sunningdale.
The much-decorated Scot will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role for the biennial showdown with the USA (August 30th-September 1st).
Matthew was a member of three Curtis Cup teams as a player, twice playing a leading role in rare GB&I victories (1992/94). Her only loss came on American soil in 1990.
The 1993 Women’s Amateur champion, who is already involved in amateur golf through her mentoring role at Scottish Golf, is delighted to once again be a part of the competition.
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“Playing in the Curtis Cup is the pinnacle for young amateur golfers,” said the 53-year-old. “I was thrilled to make the Great Britain and Ireland team three times as a player and I feel just as privileged to be the captain in 2024.
“As a player I remember the emotions of competing in the Curtis Cup – the excitement of being on a team rather than competing individually, as well as the desire to perform well for your team and pressure you put on yourself not to let them down. As a captain it is my job to navigate the players through these situations and to help them believe what is possible.
“Through the Solheim Cup I have gained experience in building a high performing and successful team, including bringing together individual athletes from different countries and recognising whose strengths will combine well to create successful pairings. My goal is to channel all my playing and captaining skills into this Great Britain and Ireland Curtis Cup team to optimise their performance.”
The appointment of Matthew as captain is an evolution of the GB&I team as it targets a first Curtis Cup victory since 2016 at Dun Laoghaire.
The 2009 AIG Women’s Open champion demonstrated strong leadership in captaining Europe to Solheim Cup successes in 2019 at Gleneagles and two years later in Ohio – just a second victory on US soil.
Martin Slumbers, CEO of The R&A, said: “We are delighted that Catriona has accepted the captain’s role for the 2024 Curtis Cup. Her reputation for strong leadership and past experience as a player with winning pedigree make Catriona the perfect captain for the Great Britain and Ireland team.
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“The Curtis Cup has long been a prominent event for women’s elite amateur golf and Great Britain and Ireland has enjoyed some fantastic wins. We are now seeing the amateur level of the sport evolve into a more competitive era and believe that Catriona is the best placed captain to guide the team in this period.
“Just like professional golfers, amateurs are now focused on a holistic approach to their game. Catriona will bring her years of professional experience to the Great Britain and Ireland team and help them combine all facets of their game to be in peak form for the Curtis Cup.”
Sunningdale is hosting the Curtis Cup for the first time and, under the leadership of Matthew, the Great Britain and Ireland team will be looking to bounce back from the 15.5-4.5 loss to the USA last year.
GB&I have only won two of the last 13 encounters and, overall, the USA have won 31 out of 42 playings. There have been three ties while GB&I have collected eight victories since the first playing in 1932.