Catriona Matthew placed on Solheim standby

Catriona Matthew was summoned from North Berwick to Loch Lomond last night and put on standby to face the Americans in the Solheim Cup after Sweden’s Helen Alfredsson fell outside the clubhouse and injured a wrist.

Dale Reid, Europe’s captain, telephoned Matthew at home in East Lothian and asked the Scot to help out when it emerged that Alfredsson was unable to hold a golf club and appeared doubtful for the match.

Harsh words were exchanged between Matthew and Reid after the captain originally declined to pick her compatriot, but any bad feelings were cast aside yesterday in the best interests of the team.

"There were a lot of apologies going backward and forward over the telephone," said Reid. "And we’re both fine now. I asked her if she would come and step in if we needed her and she said she was more than happy to help."

A decision has to be made about the European line-up before the opening ceremony at 4pm this afternoon. Since Alfredsson was one of Reid’s picks, the captain is entitled to replace her with another selection. If one of the players who qualified for the side was injured, then the next highest player in the Solheim Cup rankings, Valerie Van Ryckeghem, would have been the substitute.

It’s vital the European start with 12 fit golfers. If Alfredsson had to pull out during the match, the home side would forfeit a point in the singles and one of their players would need to face the Americans alone in Saturday’s fourballs.

The Swede, though, was inclined to play down her injury . When she missed her step after attending a function, the Swede put out a hand to break her fall. "It was just a little bump," she said after playing just five holes. "It feels a little sore in the thumb, otherwise it’s fine."

Janice Moodie, so far a lone Scot , was a witness to Alfredsson’s fall. "With the rain she couldn’t see the step and landed on the gravel - putting out a hand to save herself. Initially she thought she was OK, but the back of her hands were scratched and she also hurt her wrist."

Whatever the eventual European line-up, Moodie is convinced the bookmakers got it wrong when making Pat Hurst’s team short-priced favourites to retain the Solheim Cup.

The native of Clydebank knows the rainswept course designed by Tom Weiskopf and Jay Morrish better than anyone else here - she’s a member at Loch Lomond as well as Windyhill - and believes the players at Reid’s disposal are more than capable of repeating the victory last savoured by Europe at Dalmahoy in 1992.

"I really think we’ve as good a chance as the Americans of winning this match," she argued. "I know that the top Americans are playing well. Obviously they have a strong team, people like Juli Inkster and Meg Mallon, but nothing that we can’t handle.

"And Dottie Pepper has been out for a couple of months now. She came back a few weeks ago, played one tournament, then pulls out again. She has problems with her back and hands. If you’re not well and you’ve got a sore back, this rain is going to be a killer for her."

Unless Matthew is an 11th-hour replacement for Alfredsson, Moodie is ready to face the challenge of playing the lone Scottish card.

"I know you guys are ready to rip me apart," she joked, with just a whiff of sarcasm. "That’s OK, I’ve got big shoulders.

"There’s a bus coming from Windyhill [her home club in Bearsden] and a friend is travelling from Ireland who has no interest in golf. I guess I will have a lot of support, especially since I come from this area.

"People have been coming up to me this week saying ‘Hello, Janice, remember me ?’ and I’m going ‘Hello’, and wondering who they are."

Having won over $1 million on the LPGA, the graduate of San Jose University in California doesn’t spend much time in Scotland these days. She’s just bought a house in Orlando while her boyfriend is based in Cleveland.

Perhaps because her profession takes her away from her native land so much, Moodie is determined to make a positive impression on her Solheim Cup debut. She has friends and family coming to watch her in action and fully expects to draw a large gallery.

As to her knowledge of Loch Lomond - she reckons she’s played the course around 20 times - Moodie reckons that the inclement weather will put an added premium on accuracy and length.

"With all this rain, the course is playing really long," she reported. "You have to keep it on the fairways - and the players who have most carry in their game will do well."

Moodie’s record in match play is strong, having twice played in winning Curtis Cup sides as an amateur. Indeed, six years back, it was Moodie’s victory over Carol Semple Thomson which proved conclusive in helping GB&I retain the cup. "I’ve got great memories of the Curtis Cup, playing twice and winning twice," she recalled.

Moodie was often partnered with Catriona Matthew in those days and many expected to see the two Scots reprise that pairing in this event. Depending on today’s events, that may yet happen.

While Alfredsson was nursing a sore wrist, Patricia Meunier Lebouc reported swollen glands and a sore throat while Raquel Carriedo, the first Spaniard to make the European team, has recovered from a cold. Reid also has a sore throat and sounded hoarse.

Presumably when she spoke to Matthew, the captain may also have sounded contrite.