'One of the Greatest Accomplishments in Golf': Remembering Catriona Matthew's 2009 Women's Open Win

A former mainstay on the men’s rota that hasn't hosted an Open Championship since 2012, the AIG Women's Open returns to Royal Lytham & St. Annes for the sixth time since 1998 this week.

The compact, well-bunkered venue has long been a test of accuracy and mental resolve, making it the perfect setting to test the best women’s golfers in the world. The last time the Women’s Open visited Royal Lytham & St. Annes, we watched Georgia Hall’s breakout major victory in 2018. Georgia returns this week not only as a past champion, but also as a new mother after giving birth to her son, Connor, just six months ago. Georgia admitted recently on the BBC Women's Hour Podcast that she had “highly underestimated what it's like postpartum” in her bid to return to play.

It's hard to imagine competing at the highest level just six months after giving birth, unless you’re Catriona Matthew, who won the 2009 Women’s Open at Royal Lytham by three shots over Karrie Webb just 11 weeks after having her second child, Sophie. Matthew delivered one of the most inspiring performances in major championship history that week. After a sluggish 74 in the opening round, Catriona bounced back with a Friday 67 that included a hole-in-one on the par-3 12th. Returning to competition with modest expectations, the veteran relied on her trademark accuracy, composure, and experience to navigate the demanding venue and become the first Scot to win the Women’s Open.

I’ve always found Catriona to be a humble champion, not one to bask in her own glory. So I reached out to my good friend and former boss, Michelle Wie West, also a mother of two children, to get some greater context on Matthew’s achievement.

“Now that I'm a mom, I look at what Catriona did in a completely different way. It's honestly hard for me to even wrap my head around it. At 11 weeks postpartum, you're still recovering, you're exhausted, you're figuring out life with a newborn, and your body still doesn't feel like your own,” explained Wie West. “The idea of walking 72 holes alone but also staying mentally locked in, and winning a British Open? It's almost unbelievable.

“People always talk about the physical side of coming back after having a baby, but I actually think the mental side is just as hard, if not harder. Your whole identity shifts. You're trying to be the best mom you can be while also trying to find that competitive side of yourself again.

“To me, it's one of the greatest accomplishments in sports, period. Not just in golf or women's sports. I honestly don't think it gets talked about enough,” she continued. “Becoming a mom changes everything, and for her to go out there just 11 weeks later and beat the best players in the world is incredible. It gives me a whole new level of respect for what she accomplished.”

I asked Catriona herself about her expectations that week in 2009 and what she thinks led to her victory.

“I think obviously just after giving birth your body's not back in shape. I hadn't been practicing, there really wasn't much going for my golf game. The one thing I did benefit from though, and it just shows how much of professional golf is in the mind and between the ears, was that I went in with lower expectations,” said Matthew. “I didn't put the pressure on myself that I had done in previous years. And I accepted bad shots better because I felt, well, I haven't been playing, I haven't been practicing, so I'm going to hit bad shots. So I think it just goes to show that golf at the highest level really is mostly between the ears.”

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New mom Alison Lee, who has found some success this season while juggling motherhood, wasn’t aware of Catriona’s immense feat but echoed a similar sentiment of respect and astonishment for what she was able to accomplish.

“I think what Catriona did is even more impressive now that I’ve experienced becoming a mom myself,” Lee answered. “Before having Levi, I probably appreciated it from a golf standpoint, but now I understand everything that goes into just getting to the first tee.

“People see the golf, but they don’t see the recovery, the lack of sleep, the physical changes, the emotional adjustment, and trying to balance being fully present as a mom while also competing at the highest level. Getting your game back isn’t just about swinging the club well again — it’s about rebuilding confidence in your body and learning how to manage a completely different life,” Lee continued. “I’m 15 months postpartum now, and I’ve been fortunate to play some really good golf this year. I’ve been in contention in a couple of majors and have had a few chances to win, but I also know how much work has gone into getting back to this point. Looking back, it gives me an even greater appreciation for what Catriona accomplished only 11 weeks postpartum. It’s so incredible and unbelievable and definitely doesn’t get talked about enough.”

Alison is right. Sure, it takes a village, but what Catriona accomplished in 2009 deserves more recognition in today's crowded world of attention and flies under the radar of great accomplishments in women's sport. The hurdles that female athletes have to clear behind the scenes often go unnoticed. Catriona’s lone major victory deserves to be celebrated, not hidden as a line item of past champions in the history books.