Catriona Matthew wins the LPGA Hawaiian Classic 2001 © Digitalsport UK

Catriona is known to her fellow professionals as 'Beany', a name she was given at school. She married Graeme Matthew from Melrose, a former Scottish Boys Champion and on qualifying for the US LPGA tour in 1995, Graeme caddied for her during the first two years. Throughout Catriona's career she has been coached by the Glenbervie professional, John Chillas.

Matthew became the first Scot to win on home soil in over a decade at the WPGA Championship of Europe

Her first international victory came in the Australian Women's Open at the Yara Yara course in Melbourne on 10th November 1996. During the final round she carded a flawless 69, to win by three strokes from the home favourite Karrie Web (70). Matthew finished with a nine-under-par total of 283 and was sprayed with champagne on the home green by fellow Scot Kathryn Marshall (77) who finished in joint fifth place. Sweden's Liselotte Neumann (72) was third on 287.

In August 1998, she won the McDonald's WPGA Championship of Europe on the King's Course at Gleneagles. For the first time her husband relinquished the caddying duties, and Andy Dearden from Manchester took over.

During the Championship of Europe, 28 year old Matthew, led from the first round, closing with a 69 for a 12 under-par total of 276, five shots clear of playing partner Laura Davies (72) and defending champion from Sweden, Helen Alfredsson (71). As Catriona lifted the £45,000 winners cheque, she said "I did get nervous towards the end, but the crowd were fantastic. They cheered me onto every green."

On 18th September 1998, Matthew made her debut in the European Solheim Cup team at Muirfield Village in Ohio, which the USA won 16-12. In 1999, her husband Graeme returned to caddie for her and at the first major of the year, the Nabisco Dinah Shore, she finished seventh. At the U.S. Women's Open in June she finished top Briton in eighth place at Old Waverly, West Point, Mississippi. In the final major of the 1999 LPGA season, Catriona finished fifth in the Du Maurier Classic, played at Priddis Green in Calgary, Canada.
In 2000, she competed in 28 events and posted seven top-10 finishes, including fifth at the season-opening The Office Depot and Australian Ladies Masters. Catriona, twice runner-up in tour events crossed the $1 million mark in career earnings on July 16 2001 after a tie for 10th place at the Japan Airlines Big Apple Classic.

Matthew won her first US LPGA tour event, the Cup Noodles Hawaiian Ladies' Open on 18th February 2001 at Kapolei, by adding a level par 72 to opening rounds of 67 and 71 for a six-under-par total 210 and a three-shot victory. Playing in tough windy conditions Matthew led by two at the start of the final round, but was tied with her playing partner US Solheim Cup player Nancy Scranton with nine to play. But while Matthew held her nerve over the closing stretch with an eagle at the 11th, Scranton finished double-bogey, bogey. In the end it was Sweden's world No.2 Annika Sorenstam who snatched second place after a 70 for a three-under 213, while Scranton's 74 left her having to settle for share of third with fellow American's Danielle Ammaccapane (69) and Wendy Ward (73) on 214. Matthew was presented with a cheque for £77,600 and a Rolex watch that is part of the trappings for a first-time tour winner.

In 2005, she made her third appearance in the European Solheim Cup team at Crooked Stick, Carmel, Indiana, where the USA triumphed fifteen-and-a half-points to twelve-and-a half points for Europe. In 2006, Catriona was confirmed as the best female golfer in the UK when she was ranked 19th in the first official women's world golf rankings. Catronia Matthew is an honorary life member of both North Berwick and Gullane Ladies Golf Club and is currently promoting Archerfield Links while on tour in the USA.