Matthew has a healthy appetite for McDonald's

NORTH BERWICK'S Catriona Matthew is the leading Scottish hope in the second major of the women's season, the McDonald's LPGA Championship starting today at Bulle Rock in Maryland.

Matthew has good memories from last year – she tied for tenth – but missed the cut in the first major this year, the Kraft Nabisco Championship, in March. But the 38-year-old showed an upturn in form with a tie for second in the Sybase Classic in New York last month.

"I've been playing well enough all year," said Matthew, who has just passed the £100,000 mark in season's earnings and is at No.36 on the LPGA Tour's money list. "And it is always good to go back to a course where you've had some good scores. The majors are always that little bit more special."

Turnberry's Mhairi McKay is the second Scot in the field – Glasgow's Janice Moodie was forced to withdraw because she is suffering from a sprained ankle. She hopes to return for a tournament in Rochester in New York in two weeks time.

McKay is currently at No.93 on the money list with just £23,000 and needs a good week to really kick-start her season. She has had flashes of good form – she led after the opening round of last month's Michelob ULTRA Open – but has lacked consistency.

Norway's Suzann Pettersen, the world No.3, is the defending champion. She won by a shot from Australia's Karrie Webb for her first major triumph and one of five wins on last year's LPGA Tour.

World No.1 Lorena Ochoa, with six wins already this year, is the favourite and is bidding to make it three majors in a row, and the a second leg of a possible season's Grand Slam of all four of the biggest titles in the women's game.

The Mexican won her first major – the Ricoh Women's British Open – by four shots at St Andrews last August and was a comfortable five-stroke winner of the Kraft Nabisco Championship in California in March.

But the 26-year-old hasn't had the best of preparations. She withdrew from last week's tournament in South Carolina to go home and visit her sick uncle in Mexico, and he died at the weekend.

Kent's Karen Stupples, with three top tens this year and ranked No.11 on the money list with £185,000, is the Briton who has shown the best form in the States this year. She was 12th at the Nabisco.