the BBC Women’s Hour Podcast<\/a> that she had \u201chighly underestimated what it’s like postpartum\u201d in her bid to return to play.<\/p>\nIt’s hard to imagine competing at the highest level just six months after giving birth, unless you\u2019re Catriona Matthew, who won the 2009 Women\u2019s Open at Royal Lytham by three shots over Karrie Webb just 11 weeks after having her second child, Sophie. Matthew delivered one of the most inspiring performances in major championship history that week. After a sluggish 74 in the opening round, Catriona bounced back with a Friday 67 that included a hole-in-one on the par-3 12th. Returning to competition with modest expectations, the veteran relied on her trademark accuracy, composure, and experience to navigate the demanding venue and become the first Scot to win the Women\u2019s Open.<\/p>\n
I\u2019ve always found Catriona to be a humble champion, not one to bask in her own glory. So I reached out to my good friend and former boss, Michelle Wie West, also a mother of two children, to get some greater context on Matthew\u2019s achievement.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow that I’m a mom, I look at what Catriona did in a completely different way. It’s honestly hard for me to even wrap my head around it. At 11 weeks postpartum, you’re still recovering, you’re exhausted, you’re figuring out life with a newborn, and your body still doesn’t feel like your own,\u201d explained Wie West. \u201cThe idea of walking 72 holes alone but also staying mentally locked in, and winning a British Open? It’s almost unbelievable.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople always talk about the physical side of coming back after having a baby, but I actually think the mental side is just as hard, if not harder. Your whole identity shifts. You’re trying to be the best mom you can be while also trying to find that competitive side of yourself again.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo me, it’s one of the greatest accomplishments in sports, period. Not just in golf or women’s sports. I honestly don’t think it gets talked about enough,\u201d she continued. \u201cBecoming a mom changes everything, and for her to go out there just 11 weeks later and beat the best players in the world is incredible. It gives me a whole new level of respect for what she accomplished.\u201d<\/p>\n
I asked Catriona herself about her expectations that week in 2009 and what she thinks led to her victory.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think obviously just after giving birth your body’s not back in shape. I hadn’t been practicing, there really wasn’t much going for my golf game. The one thing I did benefit from though, and it just shows how much of professional golf is in the mind and between the ears, was that I went in with lower expectations,\u201d said Matthew. \u201cI didn’t put the pressure on myself that I had done in previous years. And I accepted bad shots better because I felt, well, I haven’t been playing, I haven’t been practicing, so I’m going to hit bad shots. So I think it just goes to show that golf at the highest level really is mostly between the ears.\u201d<\/p>\n
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New mom Alison Lee, who has found some success this season while juggling motherhood, wasn\u2019t aware of Catriona\u2019s immense feat but echoed a similar sentiment of respect and astonishment for what she was able to accomplish.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think what Catriona did is even more impressive now that I\u2019ve experienced becoming a mom myself,\u201d Lee answered. \u201cBefore having Levi, I probably appreciated it from a golf standpoint, but now I understand everything that goes into just getting to the first tee.<\/p>\n
\u201cPeople see the golf, but they don\u2019t see the recovery, the lack of sleep, the physical changes, the emotional adjustment, and trying to balance being fully present as a mom while also competing at the highest level. Getting your game back isn\u2019t just about swinging the club well again \u2014 it\u2019s about rebuilding confidence in your body and learning how to manage a completely different life,\u201d Lee continued. \u201cI\u2019m 15 months postpartum now, and I\u2019ve been fortunate to play some really good golf this year. I\u2019ve been in contention in a couple of majors and have had a few chances to win, but I also know how much work has gone into getting back to this point. Looking back, it gives me an even greater appreciation for what Catriona accomplished only 11 weeks postpartum. It\u2019s so incredible and unbelievable and definitely doesn\u2019t get talked about enough.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alison is right. Sure, it takes a village, but what Catriona accomplished in 2009 deserves more recognition in today’s crowded world of attention and flies under the radar of great accomplishments in women’s sport. The hurdles that female athletes have to clear behind the scenes often go unnoticed. Catriona\u2019s lone major victory deserves to be celebrated, not hidden as a line item of past champions in the history books.<\/p>\n