Scots women hope to shine at Carnoustie

Moodie wants to impress the home crowd at Carnoustie

Catriona Matthew and Janice Moodie hope they can make home advantage count when they take part in this week's Women's British Open.

Matthew and Moodie are two of four Scottish participants in the event at Carnoustie, which begins on Thursday.

Moodie said: "It's the major to win. To do it on home soil would be wonderful. I'm looking forward to having the home crowd behind me."

And Matthew added: "To win in Scotland would just be the icing on the cake."

Matthew won the 2009 event at Royal Lytham & St Annes 11 weeks after giving birth to her second daughter and is hoping to emulate fellow Scot Paul Lawrie's 1999 feat of winning a major at Carnoustie.

"That was a fantastic win he had," said Matthew. "If I could do that, that would be amazing.

"Having won it before takes a bit of pressure off you, you can relax and enjoy it a bit more.

"I've played here many times as an amateur, I actually won the Scottish ladies' here in the early 1990s.

"We (Scots) are just used to links goal a little bit more, the bounces you can get.

"But these players are pretty good now, it doesn't take them long to pick things up.

"I feel as though I'm playing the best golf I've ever played so if I play well and putt well, there's no reason why I can't win it."

Moodie appreciates that playing in front a home crowd brings an added pressure but hopes she can thrive in that environment.

"I think I need the pressure to play well, it gives me something exciting to play for," she said. "Hopefully, I don't let anybody down.

"I've played here at its worst and in the last couple of days I've played at its best. It's a golf course where you cannot let your guard down, no matter what hole you're at.

"Catriona came out and won after having her second child and here I am after having my second child only four months ago so a repeat of that would be absolutely wonderful."