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SPORTSMonday 21 September 2015
U.S. stages comeback to win Solheim Cup after disputed call
CIARAN FAHEY Team United States celebrates with the trophy after beating Europe in the Golf Solheim Cup in U.S., while Lexi Thompson
Associated Press St.Leon-Rot, Germany, Sunday, Sept. 20, 2015. won half a point in her all-
ST. LEON-ROT, Germany square match against Car-
(AP) — After being infuri- Associated Press lota Ciganda of Spain.
ated by a call they found “This is probably the clos-
unsportsmanlike, the Amer- than two down going into played great. Seeing the for Europe, before Gerina est knit group we’ve ever
icans staged the biggest the singles. girls and seeing the red on Piller made her 9-foot putt been a part of. We never
comeback in Solheim Cup “I am so proud of our team. the board, I’m so proud of to win her match by one stopped believing,” Stan-
history Sunday to wrest the We were in there this morn- them.” hole and keep American ford said.
trophy back from Europe. ing and we were just so Europe led 10-6 going into hopes alive. Pressel defeated Catriona
Paula Creamer defeated fired up and ready to get the 12 singles but could only “For some reason I looked Matthew of Scotland by 2
Germany’s Sandra Gal to out there and just play win three and draw anoth- up at the board and all I holes, Lee defeated Gw-
complete the turnaround good golf,” said Creamer, er. Home golfer Caroline saw was 13½,” Piller said. ladys Nocera of France 3
and secure a 14½-13½ vic- who won 4 and 3. “And Masson missed the last big “I’m like, this is it, it’s all on and 1, Wie had eight bird-
tory for the United States, this was so awesome. I chance to retain the cup me. It meant a lot to not let ies in a huge 6 and 4 win
which had trailed by four my team down,” over Caroline Hedwall of
points going into the sin- Cristie Kerr then had nine Sweden, while Lizette Salas
gles. birdies in 11 holes as she defeated Azahara Munoz
The match turned after beat Hull 3 and 2, and An- of Spain 3 and 1.
American rookie Alison Lee gela Stanford ended her Reid beat Brittany Lang
was penalized for pick- nine-match losing streak to 2 and 1, Karine Icher of
ing up the ball when she beat Pettersen 2 and 1, be- France defeated Brittany
thought her putt was con- fore Creamer completed Lincicome 3 and 2, and
ceded in the morning four- the turnaround. Anna Nordqvist of Sweden
balls, which had been sus- Morgan Pressel, Alison Lee, finished with a birdie to
pended on Saturday. Michelle Wie and Cris- best Stacy Lewis 2 and 1.
“There’s no way they could tie Kerr also won for the But after an emotional
ever justify that. I don’t day, it seemed it was the
care what you say, you Americans who had ac-
just don’t do that to your tually benefited from the
peers,” U.S. captain Juli controversial call against
Inkster said. “I don’t know Lee.
if my team needed to be Both Lee and Hull were in
fired up anymore, but they tears after that match, and
were real fired up.” Inkster used the incident
And they dominated the as motivational fuel in her
singles to claim their first ti- team talk before the sin-
tle since 2009, denying the gles.
Europeans their first three- “When it happened to her,
peat. The U.S. extended its we all jumped in there and
series lead to 9-5. No team said we’ve got to change
had ever come from more this, we’ve got to right a
wrong,” Lewis said.
Europe captain Carin Koch
had said the ball went too
far to concede.
“The rules are the rules. You
have to follow the rules,”
Koch said.
After lifting the trophy, Ink-
ster was ready to move on
from the controversy.
“I’m over it,” she said. “We
got the cup.”q
