Pro captains a reality as Matthew named Curtis Cup captain; Walker Cup next?
Catriona Matthew, who competed in three Curtis Cup matches and pictured here with Janice Moody in Tennessee in 1994, will captain Great Britain and Ireland in the 2024 Curtis Cup. Picture: J.D. Cuban, Getty Images Sport
Two-time Solheim Cup-winning captain Catriona Matthew will captain Great Britain and Ireland in the 2024 Curtis Cup at Sunningdale. The appointment begs the question: Could a professional golfer captain the GB&I men’s team in the Walker Cup or the St Andrews Trophy?
Announcing the news, the R&A said Matthew’s appointment signals “a new era for the GB&I side”. But what about the men?
With so many potential Walker Cup players now in the professional ranks and many who are still amateurs unable to commit the time to a two-to-four-year appointment, it will be interesting to see how the men’s role evolves, if at all. Perhaps it’s time for women to be considered for the GB&I men’s captaincy too.
Five years ago, Golfweek reported the R&A was running out of potential Walker Cup captains and that its former chief executive Peter Dawson had considered using tour pros who had played in the match, such as Colin Montgomerie, Paul McGinley and Padraig Harrington.
“We have a problem going forward since so few Walker Cup players remain amateur,” Dawson told Golfweek.
Either way, the R&A says Matthew, who captained Europe to back-to-back Solheim Cup successes, “will bring a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role for the match taking place against the USA from Friday 30 August to Sunday 1 September 2024.”
The press release continued:
Two time Solheim Cup winning captain, Catriona Matthew will captain Great Britain and Ireland at the 2024 Curtis Cup. Picture: Getty Images
Matthew was a member of three GB&I Curtis Cup teams in a decorated amateur career. She has been through a full variety of experiences as a player in the losing side in 1990, the winning side in 1992 at Royal Liverpool and again in 1994 when GB&I retained the trophy.
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 Curtis Cup.
Matthew, 53, said, “Playing in the Curtis Cup is the pinnacle for young amateur golfers, 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.
Matthew, who won the AIG Women's Open in 2009, 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.
“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.”
The 43rd Curtis Cup match will be played at Sunningdale’s Old Course from Friday 30 August to Sunday 1 September 2024.
The leading women’s amateur players from Great Britain and Ireland and the USA will compete at the renowned Berkshire venue as the prestigious biennial match is played there for the first time.
Under the leadership of Matthew, the Great Britain and Ireland team will be looking to bounce back from the 15½-4½ loss to the USA in the previous match, which was played last year at Merion.
