Catriona Matthew, from North Berwick, will be playing practically on her own doorstep as she goes in pursuit of a second consecutive Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open title at Archerfield Links this week.

Matthew earned an imperious 10 stroke victory on the Fidra Course in 2011 and had set a course record of 65 in the second round.

Last season, the 2009 Ricoh Women’s British Open champion also won the Lorena Ochoa Invitational and made her sixth appearance as a member of the victorious European Solheim Cup team, defeating Paula Creamer in the singles.

Here, the defending Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open champion talks about her preparations for this week’s tournament. The event is taking place from 3^rd to 5^th May on the Fidra Course at Archerfield Links.

Catriona: has it been a busy 2012 so far? What have you been doing?

I feel as if I’ve been away quite a bit this year already.   I’ve played events in Thailand, Singapore and then 3 in the US so right now I’m enjoying a few weeks at home before the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open.

What is your goal for the 2012 Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open?

To defend the title, hopefully in a similar style to last year!

Are you looking forward to playing in the tournament/and at Archerfield Links?

I am indeed.   I’m lucky enough to be an honorary member at Archerfield and I feel at home and relaxed there.    I think it’s a great venue for this tournament.  In fact I literally can stay at home, in my own bed, which is a huge bonus!

What are you hoping the conditions will be like?

I can only hope that they will be fine, and not too wet and windy.  No-one enjoys playing in bad conditions but we all know that the Scottish weather is a bit of a lottery, so we will just have to keep our fingers crossed.   As long as our expectations aren’t too high, I’m sure we’ll be fine!

What has been your preparation in the build up to the AAMLSO?

Since I’m at home right now, I’ll be practicing at Archerfield, seeing my coach (Kevin Craggs)  a bit and working on my fitness so I feel good about my preparation.

Do you like the three day pro-am format of the tournament?

It’s good to have a different format every so often.   It’s quite special that the sponsors and their guests to get to play more than just the normal Pro-Am, and having a few celebrities too is a bonus.    

Do you think that the new earlier date of the tournament is a good thing?

This year is particularly tricky for events to find the right dates because of the Olympics.  Scotland in May shouldn’t be too bad, no worse than any other month probably!  It fits well with my schedule so I’m happy with the date, yes.

Which area of your golf have you been working on the most recently?

I’ve been working on my short game the most over the winter.   No major changes, just tweaking and working on my tempo.