This year, the Solheim Cup will take place from September 13th to 15th at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. The American squad will vie to redeem themselves against their European competitors. Fans are hoping for some nail-biting action from this year’s tournament but some controversies from the past left the golf netizens shocked. Interestingly, this one dates back to the 2015 Solheim Cup held at St. Leon course of Golf Club St. Leon-Rot.

It happened on the 17th hole during a fourball match. Alison Lee and Brittany Lincicome of Team USA were matched against Suzann Pettersen and Charley Hull of Team Europe. Lee only needed one putt to win the hole but unfortunately, that didn’t happen. Instead, the ball slid 18 inches past the cup. Following that, Hull started walking towards the 18th hole while her partner Pettersen was still out of the surface.

As it happened, America’s Lee simply picked up the ball, believing the remaining 18-inch putt had been conceded. The movement by Charley Hull and the thought about concession overall created confusion in then-rookie Lee’s mind. Then Suzann Pettersen stepped in and revealed that no such concession had been made. Later, a rules official joined the scene for clarification, and Team Europe was awarded the point. The point also proved detrimental for Team USA as Europe went to the singles session with a commanding 10-6 lead.

Following the incident, an argument broke out, and the intense exchange left both Alison Lee and Charley Hull in tears. Frustrated over the drama, the US captain Juli Inkster jumped in and said, “If that’s the way they want to play, let’s go,” while Stacy Lewis followed her, saying, “Let’s use this to motivate ourselves,” as revealed on the Sky Sports.

Not only golfers, but the golf world was also angry over this incident. They started questioning Pettersen’s sportsmanship. Zach Johnson also shared a post on X saying, “What happened yesterday @solheimcup on the 17th green is a disgrace to the sport.” Meanwhile, Laura Davies also added, “Pettersen will regret this. If the U.S. does go on and win it, there’s only one person to blame.” 

Indeed, Team USA pulled off a remarkable comeback, overcoming a 10-6 deficit in the singles session and securing the 14.5 points needed to win the cup. But what about Pettersen? Did she regret her actions? She did.

What did Suzann Pettersen say?

Initially, Pettersen said that she had no regrets whatsoever about the fourball incident. However, just a day later, she had a change of heart. She clarified that whatever she said earlier about not regretting was all because of the heat of the competition, and now she feels sorry about it.

“I’ve never felt more gutted and truly sad about what went down Sunday on the 17th at the Solheim Cup. I am so sorry for not thinking about the bigger picture in the heat of the battle and competition. I was trying my hardest for my team and put the single match and the point that could be earned ahead of sportsmanship and the game of golf itself. I feel like I let my team down, and I am sorry,” as revealed by Guardian. She also apologized to her fans as she said, “To the fans of golf who watched the competition on TV, I am sorry for the way I carried myself.” 

What are your thoughts on this incident from the 2015 Solheim Cup? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!