SOLHEIM CUP:Catriona Matthew's performance while partnering two rookies deserves to be celebrated, writes JOHN O'SULLIVAN

IT’S NOT in Catriona Matthew’s character to indulge in whimsy, so in reflecting on the opening day of the Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle she’ll appraise her contribution in a pragmatic vein. The 42-year-old Scot helped secure one and a half points for her team in partnership with two rookies, first Spain’s Azahara Munoz in the morning and then in the afternoon foursomes, Sandra Gal.

Personal satisfaction is a peripheral emotion in a team environment but Matthew’s performance deserves to be celebrated. She cajoled and nurtured Munoz through a nervous opening to the foursomes, facilitated initially by their American opponents, Stacey Lewis and Angela Stanford, whose array of dropped shots littered the opening five holes.

Three down the Americans began their rehabilitation with a brace of birdies but only one was good enough to claw a hole back. The Scottish/Spanish axis were two up at the turn and a brace of birdies on the 10th and 11th was enough only to nudge them to a three-hole advantage which they never relinquished.

Matthew played some exquisite iron shots and even when she did stray, the young tyro at her side was equal to the task. The Scot reflected afterwards in summing up her partner’s performance: “You would never have known it was her first Solheim Cup. I missed a couple of greens and she chipped them; kind of kept it pretty steady on the greens and that’s what we had to do.”

It was a subsequent comment that was to prove prophetic.

“This afternoon we’ll be a lot more aggressive. This morning we were just trying to hit greens and make pars but we’ll need to make birdies this afternoon.”

Matthew returning after lunch alongside debutante Gal in the second match was as good as her word in spectacular fashion.

Two down to the voluble Christina Kim and Ryann O’Toole as the Europeans strode to the sixth tee, Matthew produced five birdies in succession on foot of beautifully-crafted iron play and an assured touch with the blade.

It proved an apposite volume control for the feisty Kim and her partner. The shrieking, high fives, hugging and fist-pumping was shelved as the Americans tried to figure a way back into a contest they had dominated with a brace of O’Toole birdies and one from Kim: by the 10th tee the Americans were two down even though they were three under regulation figures for the better ball format. The Europeans were four under.

The sizeable American contingent in the gallery following this match were desperate to get involved, knowing Kim is energised by the whooping and hollering. O’Toole’s birdie on 13 was offset by Gal’s on the par-five 15th and at two up with three to play the Europeans appeared set for victory.

To their credit their opponents refused to bow the knee. Kim hit a fine tee shot on the 16th, holing her birdie putt from 12 feet: cue bedlam in the gallery and another outbreak of hugging and fist- pumping. O’Toole, a rookie herself in this event, showed her prowess on the 17th by holing from an even greater distance for another birdie and a second consecutive victory.

The Europeans must have felt they had been pick-pocketed as they made their way across to the 18th tee with the match all square. All four players hit the home green in two; the match was now essentially a putting contest.

The two Americans and Matthew failed to hole birdie putts and so Gal, from 12 feet down the slope, had a chance to claim the honour and glory. The putt slid past; some two and a half feet – her partner was much further away – requiring the German to demonstrate admirable composure and nerve, to negotiate the return journey.

Gal admitted afterwards: “Having Catriona by my side gave me a lot of calmness and confidence because you know you can rely on her. We played really well together.”

Matthew was philosophical as she reflected on a contest that had been wrestled from their grasp.

“I think we (the four players) birdied every hole (between us) on the front nine. We’re disappointed after being two up with three to go. But (for them) to make birdies on tricky holes like 16 and 17 – there’s not much you can do.”