By Kent Gray
For Catriona Matthew, nothing in her glittering career beats leading Europe to back-to-back Solheim Cup glory, not even winning her home open twice nor her major breakthrough at the 2009 Women’s British Open. Mind you, the rise and rise of Dubai as a golf destination is almost as implausible for the 52-year-old Scot.

Matthew is one of the star turns prepping for next week’s Dubai Moonlight Classic presented by EGA. She is no stranger to Emirates Golf Club but is looking forward to tackling the Faldo course under floodlights for the first time during the €260,000 Ladies European Tour event.

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“I love playing in Dubai. I came out for many years to the Dubai Ladies Masters event that was held at Emirates Golf Club on the Majlis course and loved it,” said Matthew ahead of the 54-hole Pro-Am on the Faldo from October 27-29.

“I actually played the par 3 course there in an exhibition match under lights with Laura [Davies], Annika Sorenstam and Sophie Gustafson one year, and I am very much looking forward to playing the event this year and experiencing playing a full-length course under floodlights.”

Matthews has won four LPGA Tour and six LET Tour events but victory has thus far eluded her in Dubai. Not that she needs a second invitation to return to the Emirate.

“The players all used to love the Dubai Ladies Masters event. It was for sure one that you would put on your schedule at the start of every year.

“Dubai has always been very proactive in encouraging golf for women and has been a great supporter of the LET over many years. It is definitely seen as a destination. Women golfers from over the world want to come to so they can experience great conditioned golf courses, great weather and great food.”

Team Europe secured a second Solheim Cup victory on US soil when they edged Pat Hurst’s Americans 15-13 at the Inverness Club in Toledo, Ohio, last month. It was a magic moment for Matthew.

Team Europe, captained by Catriona Matthew, celebrate 2019 Solheim Cup success at Gleneagles in Scotland. Getty Images

“Honestly, being Solheim Cup captain has been the highlight of my career. To have been fortunate enough to be the winning captain back-to-back has just been the icing on the cake. After Gleneagles, I thought hard whether I wanted to do it again and I enjoyed it so much I just had to give it another run, with the fact that Inverness Club had so many Scottish connections…course name, course designer it seemed it might have been written in the stars to win back-to-back.”

One of the few things almost as unbelievable has been watching Dubai grow up around golf.

“I first came to Dubai on a stopover to Australia in the mid 90’s. At that time, you got off the plane and had to walk to the terminal. There was nothing here, I then came back in 2006 to the Dubai Ladies Masters and the change was incredible, it was a proper city and the golf course, although still new, was excellent.

“Present-day, Dubai is just a massive tourist destination with everything you could possibly want, numerous first-class hotels, shopping, golf, desert safaris, and it even has an indoor ski slope. The transformation from a quick 2-hour stopover for the plane to refuel to what it is today is truly remarkable.”