Catriona Matthew awarded the MBE
January 4, 2010

The Ladies European Tour have hailed Catriona Matthew's achievements as she capped a stunning year by being awarded the MBE in the New Year Honours List.

Matthew, 40, created one of the stories of the summer when she won the Ricoh British Open at Royal Lytham just 11 weeks after giving birth to her second daughter, and just a week before the Open she had been forced to escape from a hotel fire.

The four-time Solheim Cup player is highly regarded by her fellow professionals and the LET released the following statement: ''Catriona has always been a wonderful ambassador for the game of golf but she shot to prominence in 2009 as one of the UK's finest sporting talents with her sensational victory at the Ricoh British Open.

''In recognition of her achievements the Ladies European Tour membership recently voted her as the Players' Player of the Year and clearly she thoroughly deserves this honour.

''Her conduct on and off the course is exemplary and in sport there can be nogreater role model.''

The Edinburgh-born golfer won her first LET title at the 1998 McDonald's WPGA Championship of Europe and posted eight top 10s on the LPGA tour in 2002.