US rallies in singles to win Solheim

Momentum changed after American Alison Lee, a Solheim Cup rookie, was penalized for picking up the ball when she thought her putt on No. 17 was conceded in the morning fourballs, which had been suspended on Saturday.

Lee thought the remaining 18-inch putt had been conceded and picked up her ball. Petterson had not, in fact, awarded Lee the putt, and because Lee had picked up her ball rather than finishing the hole, the rules official awarded the hole to Europe.

The home team went into the last 12 singles holding a 10-6 lead, following unsavoury scenes over the non-concession of a short American putt in the fourballs carried over from Sunday, but the United States rallied to triumph by 14 1/2 to 13 1/2 points. It’s just not right, I don’t care what they say.

“We all feel bad for Alison, she made a mistake and it’s very unfortunate”. You just don’t do that to your peers.

“I just loved my line-up”.

But Hull’s playing partner Suzann Pettersen claimed the hole to anger the Americans.

“I’m disgusted,” she said. It’s disrespectful. But if that’s the way they want to win.

Alas, this Solheim Cup will likely be remembered and discussed for another matter that transpired Sunday at Golf Club St. Leon-Rot in Germany.

Both Lee and Hull were in tears after that match, and Inkster used the incident as motivational fuel in her team talk before the singles.

That point was earned by captain’s pick Paula Creamer, who struggled all season but was a bright spot for the USA all week, including in her singles match against German Sandra Gal. On the par-3 15th, Creamer lagged her birdie putt to gimme range, forcing Gal to make a 17-foot uphill birdie putt to extend the match and preserve a potential tie.

“I thought I heard it was “good”, Lee explained.

Hull was also in tears at the end of the match, and European vice-Captain Marie McBride commented: “This is not how it is meant to be”.

“I have never seen anything like it in my career”.

Inkster said it was “an incredible feeling” to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.

“This is just wonderful “, said U.S. captain, Juli Inkster. “Never give up. I saw my team out there today, it didn’t look good early, they hung in there, a lot of 2-downs came to evens, and then plus 1”.

Morgan Pressel claimed the first full point for the Americans with a final hole win over Catriona Matthew, who had only lost one of her seven previous Solheim singles matches. “It is just BS as far as I’m concerned”.

“There was a rules meeting at the start of the week and the players knew they had to wait until a putt was conceded”, said the Swede.

“You know what, I was on them all week”, Inkster said. “If they win they are going to think ‘Why did we do that?’ or ‘why did Suzann do that?” Team Europe won three of their four matches, including an incredible comeback my Charley Hull and Suzann Pettersen.

This is the fourth time Creamer has been on a victories American team.

“Never mind what Suzann did, how about Carin Koch, Annika Sorenstam, Sophie Gustafson or Maria McBride”, Castrale said on Sky Sports 4.