Catriona Matthew looking to soar at Gleneagles

Catriona Matthew saves par on the third during day four of the Ricoh Women's British Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes

Returning to the scene of her 2009 win in the event, the 48-year-old signed off with a 76 – her worst score of the week – in the Ricoh Women’s British Open won by England’s Georgia Hall. “I didn’t play quite as well today,” she said after finishing just inside the top 50 with a one-over-par 289 total.

“However, I was unlucky with a couple of putts, including efforts at the 16th and 18th. If they’d fallen, it would have been kind of acceptable.”

Matthew received a warm welcome from the crowd around the last and said of her week back in Lancashire:  “It’s been very enjoyable.”

The North Berwick woman now turns her attention to that Great Britain appearance in this week’s inaugural European Golf Team Championships at Gleneagles. At the venue where she’ll captain Europe in the  Solheim Cup next September, she is joining forces with Holly Clyburn in one of the home women’s teams and partners Charlie Ford in a separate mixed event.

“It should be good fun and match-play is less stress,” she said, having enjoyed being part of Team GB at the 2016  Olympics in Rio.