OMNISPORT

American Solheim Cup captain Juli Inkster was left enraged by the behaviour of Suzann Pettersen and the European team after the final fourball match of the event ended amid huge controversy.

In one of three fourball clashes completed at St Leon-Rot Golf Club on Sunday morning, Pettersen and Charley Hull claimed a 2up success over Alison Lee and Brittany Lincicome, ensuring holders Europe entered the singles with a healthy 10-6 lead.

However, the United States team were disgusted by an incident on the 17th hole, which saw Lee pick up her ball in the apparent belief a short putt for a half had been conceded, only for Pettersen to insist that was not the case.

Following discussions with match referee Dan Maselli, Europe were awarded the hole – and Inkster was less than impressed given Hull and Pettersen had begun to leave the green after Lee's initial putt to win the hole had slid by.

Inkster told the Golf Channel: "I saw Charley turn around, I saw Suzann turn around. Alison picked her ball up. Suzann said it wasn't good – you just don't do that to your peers.

"I thought it was a great week for women's golf and to put a dampener on that, there's no way they could ever justify that.

"It's just not right. And you know they could have changed it, but they didn't."

Although many observers expressed their dismay at a perceived lack of sportsmanship from the European team, referee Maselli insisted he had no choice but to award the hole to the hosts given the lack of a verbal concession.

"After Alison Lee putted, there was a putt of maybe a couple of feet left and I watched both the European players as they walked towards me by the side of the green, and neither one of them looked at Alison or said anything, that I saw," Maselli said.

"Alison picked up the ball, [and] immediately Suzann Pettersen mentioned to me that the putt was not conceded. So I did interview and ask both players and both caddies on the European team if they did say anything, or indicate in any way to Alison that the putt was conceded. Nothing was said by either caddie or player.

"I asked Brittany Lincicome if she heard something and she did not. Alison said as soon as I walked over to her that she thought she heard something. It could have been out of the crowd.

"There is a decision that allows the player to put the ball back down if something confuses her, but there was nothing, in my interview of the facts, that allowed me to let her put the ball back down and putt that ball.

"It would have to be something that was uttered by the team, a caddie, one of the helpers, one of the assistant captains, the captain – but nothing was said by anybody."

With the incident leaving a sour taste, Lee and Hull each broke into tears on the 18th green after the match was completed.