COUNTY golf star Catriona Matthew took the Solheim Cup through North Berwick on Monday as she launched the beginning of ‘Year to Go’ celebrations ahead of the tournament at Gleneagles next September.

Matthew will captain the European team for the event – the female equivalent of the Ryder Cup – and was in her home town on Monday to start the countdown.

She hosted a Q&A session at North Berwick Golf Club, attended by about 100 people, before signing autographs and posing for pictures.

The 48-year-old, who still lives in the town with husband Graeme and daughters Katie and Sophie, then paraded the famous trophy in the town, taking it to a host of businesses.

She visited Anderson’s Quality Butchers, North Berwick Fry, Sweet News, Sugar Mountain, and the Scottish Seabird Centre.

Ryan Anderson, of Anderson’s Quality Butchers, said: “Catriona has made the town so proud in all that she has achieved and we know she’ll do us proud as captain of Europe. The whole town is behind her.”

Matthew admitted she was “overwhelmed” by the turnout at the golf club. She added: “It was amazing to start the countdown to next year in North Berwick. Looking around the room [at the golf club] I recognised many of the faces and hope I’ll see many of those same faces next September.”