Fairways and Forehands 2013 Top 30 WTA and LPGA Year In Review: #21 Catriona Matthew and Carla Suarez Navarro

Catriona Matthew at Solheim Cup 2013

Instead of a year in review focusing on overall achievements, I thought this time I’d do a countdown of the top 30 money list leaders from the WTA and LPGA. For the WTA, singles, doubles and mixed are combined for this top 30. Number 21 on the money list from each tour are Catriona Matthew (LPGA) and Carla Suarez Navarro (WTA).

CATRIONA MATTHEW (Scotland)

2013 Official LPGA Prizemony: $643,896

Best Finishes: 2nd Wegmans LPGA Championship, 3rd Manulife Financial LPGA Classic, T7 Kraft Nabisco Championship, T8 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, Team Europe Winner Solheim Cup

Twitter: Beany25 (click)

Catriona Matthew continued to drink from the fountain of youth in 2013. The 44-year old Scotswoman is still a force on the LPGA Tour. That was evident in June when she went toe to toe with LPGA Player of the Year Inbee Park at the Wegmans LPGA Championship. While Catriona would eventually lose out to Inbee at the Locust Hill Country Club in Pittsford, New York, she pushed Park to 3 playoff holes. Catriona also had another top 10 in a Major with she finished tied for 7th at the Kraft Nabisco Championship.

Solheim Cup 2013 (click to enlarge)

Catriona was also part of the European Soheim Cup team that defended their 2011 triumph by coming to the United States and winning for the first time on American soil. Catriona was part of two halved matches, adding a point for the victors. Speaking of Europe, I do realize Catriona won on the Ladies European Tour, but this countdown only deals with official LPGA results. That said, I still congratulate her on her title victory.

Carla Suarez Navarro at US Open 2013 (click to enlarge)

CARLA SUAREZ NAVARRO (Spain)

Singles: $1,039,564 Doubles: $104,436 Mixed: $0

2013 Official WTA Prizemoney: $1,144,000

Best Finishes: Runner-Up Abierto Mexicano Telcel, Runner-Up Portugal Open, SF Topshelf Open, SF Generali Ladies Linz, QF US Open

25-year old Carla Suarez Navarro still has time in her career, barring injury or burnout, to finally notch her first WTA title. She came close twice in 2013, finishing as the runner-up in Acapulco, Mexico and Oeiras, Portugal. All of her 5 career WTA singles finals have come on clay, but Suarez Navarro’s game can adapt. She made a quarterfinal run at the US Open before she ran into the great Serena Williams. Carla also teamed with Silvia Soler-Espinosa to reach the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, the semifinals in Madrid and the semis in New Haven

Wimbledon 2013 (click to enlarge)

For 2014, I look to the early clay court season to see if Carla can get that breakthrough win out of the way. Certainly, she is capable of winning on other surfaces, but better to just get it done as soon as possible and not get deep into the season still in seach of her maiden victory.