Suzann Pettersen apologizes for Solheim Cup incident

Team United States celebrates with the trophy after beating Europe in the Golf Solheim Cup in St.Leon-Rot, Germany, Sunday, September 20, 2015.

Despite trailing 10-6 after the morning matches at the Solheim Cup, the Americans stormed back in dramatic fashion for an improbable victory.

With the U.S. completely dominant in the final three games on course, it was down to Europe’s middle order to claim the 1½ points they needed to at least retain the trophy they won in Colorado in 2013.

Pettersen said that a putt on the 17th green had not been conceded when the USA’s Alison Lee picked up her ball, meaning the Americans lost the hole.

Gerina Piller made the biggest shot of the matches, holing a 9-foot par putt to beat Germany’s Caroline Masson 1 up and keep the American hopes alive.

Had Lee’s putt been conceded, the hole would have been halved and left the match all-square with one hole to play.

Commentator and former European Solheim Cup player Laura Davies said during the broadcast that she was “disgusted” with how the match ended. I my opinion I think that should have been done, but Suzann didn’t do that. It’s just not right. You don’t do that to your peers. It’s disrespectful. Lee is not blameless in the situation (she should have been more careful, especially at such a crucial stage of the match), while Hull – or European captain Carin Koch – could have done more if she though the situation was so unfair.

In the singles, Karine Icher struck the first blow for Europe with a 3 and 2 win over Lincicome and Carlota Ciganda added another half point against Lexi Thompson in a classy top match that shared 14 birdies.

“Alison, you did nothing wrong”. “I had them each take a personality profile test… and it’s worked out incredible as far as the camaraderie in each little pod”.

“We are all trying to win, to play golf”, she told reporters.

This is the fourth time Creamer has been on a victories American team. “I feel like I let my team down and I am sorry”. “We got the Cup”.

“Definitely, after everything that happened, it definitely fired us all up to go and pretty much kill it, kill it this afternoon”, Lee said. They never gave up. Everybody did their job. A member of the European backroom staff, Annika Sorenstam, hit back at suggestions she had been coaching players during competition. “We pressed really hard to the end but today the United States just outplayed us”.

USA captain Juli Inkster watched her side turn their fury into Solheim Cup glory – after ordering her players to “stomp on” their rivals in the final session.

“But it’s just the way it goes sometimes, the putts drop or they don’t and that’s the difference”.

In case the massive comeback wasn’t enough, though, it all began with a controversial moment early Sunday morning that became the bitter and emotionally-charged turning point of the tournament. She arranged dinners with the 16 candidates for the team, some who had qualified and some on the bubble, in order to get to know them better so she could gather the most cohesive 12-player squad possible. We have to play week in, week out together and you do not do something like that to a fellow pro.