Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew hails Emily Pedersen for revival after post-2017 slump

Emily PedersenGetty Images

Emily Pedersen is likely to be a huge asset to the European team in 2021 after a disappointing Solheim Cup debut in 2017

By Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent

Solheim Cup captain Catriona Matthew has praised the mental strength of Emily Pedersen, the Danish woman who has dominated the Ladies European Tour this year.

Pedersen collected her third win in a row at the season-ending Spanish Open last Sunday. It was her fourth individual victory of the campaign and helped her romp to the inaugural Race to Costa del Sol title with more than three times the number of points of her nearest challenger.

"It's been a fantastic year for Emily," Matthew told BBC Sport.

The 24-year-old's success is all the more admirable given the way her form plummeted following a dispiriting Solheim Cup debut for Europe in 2017.

Pedersen was picked by skipper Annika Sorenstam for the match in Illinois but was comprehensively beaten in all three of her matches in Europe's 16 1/2 - 11 1/2 defeat.

"I really felt for her after the Solheim in Des Moines," said Matthew, the 2009 Women's Open champion.

"She was at the top of her game and she just kind of completely lost it after that Solheim.

"It just shows great character, I think, to come back. I've seen her over the last couple of years working really hard at her game, but golf is a lot in the head and I think it's taken a lot of mental strength."

Pedersen was as low as 509 in the world at the start of this year but can now prepare for the year's final major, next week's US Open, ranked 77th in the standings.

Her progress has been remarkable. The first green shoots of recovery came in March with a top-10 place at the South African Open before the coronavirus pandemic halted proceedings.

At the first event back, August's Scottish Open, the long-hitting Scandinavian was runner up to American Stacy Lewis before posting her best major finish with an 11th place at the Women's Open at Royal Troon.

She then won the Czech Ladies Open, where a closing eagle rounded off a four-stroke victory, before finishing third in Switzerland.

This set up an astonishing couple of November weeks in Saudi Arabia, where she emerged with two more individual titles and victory in the team event.

She powered relentlessly on to Spain and was again unstoppable last week, winning by four strokes. It has been a devastating spell of golf.

Getty Images

Her Solheim Cup debut was not a happy one for Emily Pedersen, with a 5&3 defeat in Saturday's foursomes alongside Mel Reid (left) part of her 0-3 losing record

"To be able to come back from going from near the top of the game to plummeting way down to suddenly having a break out and amazing year this year, I'm really pleased for her," Matthew added.

Europe's captain can expect Pedersen to be a valuable asset to her team when she makes her second Solheim Cup appearance at next year's defence in Toledo, Ohio.

"She has the experience of playing in it before and knows what to expect," the skipper said.

"She will be much more complete and better prepared for it if she makes the team next year."

It seems much more of a "when" than an "if" Pedersen - who missed the victory in 2019 at Gleneagles as a result of her loss of form - qualifies for the European side.

Matthew suspects the player's debut aged 21 three years ago was "a little bit too much" but is now much more confident in her qualities.

"You're really under the spotlight at the Solheim Cup and if you've not got your game it can be really demoralising," said Matthew, who played in the event nine times.

"She will come out of this a better player probably, much stronger mentally than she was three years ago."

Matthew is impressed by Pedersen's ball-striking but believes she can become an even more efficient competitor.

"She's always been a long hitter and she's driving it well and hits fantastic iron shots," said the North Berwick-based Scot.

"I think even she would admit her putting could still improve. Watching at the Scottish Open, if she had putted even only semi-decent she would probably have won that.

"It must be encouraging for her to see that there's room for improvement to get even better."

Pedersen, who pocketed €415,000 (£370,000) from the dozen LET events she played this year, now turns her attention to the US Open - and her longer-term future is likely to involve more frequent visits to America.

"She'll want to take this form that she's shown this summer in Europe into the US Open next week," Matthew said.

"Even though she's loved playing in Europe I'm sure she'd love to have another crack at the LPGA. Going onto that tour with such confidence and good form is a real help.

"So next year I'm sure that would be one of her goals - to play a few more events on the LPGA against a lot of the top players in the world."

After the false dawn of 2017, Pedersen now seems ready to compete in such company.