Scottish veteran Catriona Matthew is not looking at her late Solheim Cup call-up as a swansong. Instead, the former Women’s British Open champ is hoping it can be a springboard.

Matthew, 47, was originally a vice-captain for this week’s showdown between Europe and the USA in Des Moines having failed to gain a wild card pick.

But the North Berwick veteran, with eight previous Cup appearances to her name, has answered the call to arms after Suzann Pettersen was forced to withdraw yesterday with a niggling back injury.

Matthew has not enjoyed a vintage campaign on the LPGA Tour this season and her best finish has been a share of 30th.

But she insists she can inject her year with renewed vigour in the cut-and-thrust of the matchplay format here in Iowa.

Matthew said: “This might just be the thing to spur me on for the rest of the season. Matchplay is a different thing entirely. You can have a bad shot and start again. I'd got into the vice-captain role and was enjoying that but now I’ve switched focus and I’m ready to play,”

The swap with Pettersen is almost a like-for-like switch. The duo have both played in eight Solheim Cups and, from 33 matches each, they have a similar record of 19 points in total.

“Obviously I'm gutted for Suzann not to be able to play,” added Matthew. “It's the highlight to play in this. She's a great competitor and I feel really sorry for her, but it is a tough week. You want and need to give it your all and if you're not 100 percent, you perhaps can't do that."