ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – Major winner and former European Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew is likely playing her final LPGA Tour event this week at the AIG Women’s Open at St. Andrews.

The 54-year-old announced in her pre-tournament press conference on Wednesday morning that this year’s AIG Women’s Open on the Old Course would be her last appearance at a major tournament, which the Scot won in 2009, just 11 weeks after the birth of her second child.

“I’m under no illusions I’m not going to win the tournament, but I think my goal for this week would be to make the cut,” Matthew said. “You don’t want to come and keep playing if you’re not competitive. I felt there couldn’t be a better place to play my last tournament in St. Andrews, Scotland, the home of golf.”

Matthew began her LPGA Tour career in 1995 and earned four victories in total, including titles at the 2001 Cup Noodles Hawaiian Ladies Open, the 2004 Wendy’s Championship for Children and the 2011 Lorena Ochoa Invitational, along with her major win. But her victory at the 2009 AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club was by far the most notable achievement of Matthew’s career.

And although she is a former champion, this tournament has meant much more to her career over the years than just that one win, with Matthew still cherishing many fond memories of her 29 previous major championship starts ahead of this week.

“I think that was the first professional tournament I played in,” Matthew said. “I remember playing at Woburn. My mom came and was my caddie. I think we made the cut, and I remember playing with Trish Johnson. She had been a pro for a while at the time and was one of the best players in Europe. So that was a pretty nerve-racking experience for me.”

“I won in 2009 but my record in that event was probably not as good as I would have liked. I think I pushed myself too hard beforehand and put too much pressure on myself to come back. When you play in the UK you want to play well in front of your home fans, family and friends. I’m pleased I managed to win this one time but I wish my record had been maybe a little bit better.”

While the 2024 AIG Women’s Open will be Matthew’s 30th and final appearance in the event, a bittersweet moment for the 54-year-old who has been a mainstay of European women’s golf throughout her career, Matthew is ready for the change. She has two teenage daughters currently at various stages of schooling and is looking forward to captaining Team Great Britain and Ireland at the Curtis Cup at Sunningdale next week.

And although this chapter of her life is fast coming to a close, Matthew is determined to achieve her goal of making the cut on the Old Course. She opened the week on Thursday in incredibly blustery weather at St. Andrews with a 5-over 77, a respectable performance that, while solid for someone who doesn’t play consistently high-level tournament golf week in and week out, still gives Matthew some work to do if she wants to make the cut.

And Matthew is ready to fight the good fight on Friday to play one last time on the LPGA Tour this weekend.

“There’s still hope until Friday, right?” said Matthew. “We’ll just have to wait until Friday night when the results are in.”

Even if things do not go in her favour, tomorrow’s walk across the Swilcan Bridge will be a fitting farewell for Matthew, a perfect send-off for the Scot in her home country, the home of golf.

What could be better than that?