MIRACLE OF THE GLEN

Pettersen holds her nerve to sink decisive putt on the final green and deliver glory for Europe

Amid scenes of unbridled joy at the end of a day of pulsating drama, Europe won back the Solheim Cup in extraordinary fashion yesterday.

Here was a miracle to place right alongside the one the men mustered at medinah in 2012. Even with 30 minutes to go, it was still looking like failure on an epic scale.

‘i thought a tied match at that point would be a good result,’ admitted Europe’s captain, Catriona matthew. A tied match, of course, would have meant America, as the holders, retained the trophy.

Then England’s Bronte Law holed a 20ft birdie putt to turn her match Europe’s way on the 16th — and suddenly the miracle was on.

Now it all came down to Suzann Pettersen, Europe’s greatest Solheim player but one who had barely played all year owing to maternity leave. All square playing the par-five 18th, she simply had to win her match against marina Alex. Both players were 100 yards from the green in two.

They played wonderful shots under extreme pressure. Both had similar putts in length but Alex’s was above the hole. it slipped by. Now Pettersen had to hole from 8ft as players from both teams crouched by the green, barely able to look, and thousands of spectators held their breath.

This is how you define greatness, a player who can shut out all the noise and the possibilities to deliver a nerveless stroke. Because of her long period of absence, she is the 635th-ranked player in the world but Europe wanted no one else standing over the putt.

‘How could you ask for anything more, you just have to grab the moment,’ said Pettersen.

She did that all right. A stroke as pure as you like — and when the ball disappeared below ground, the 38-year-old Norwegian warrior let out a primal roar that might have been heard in Edinburgh.

in the twilight of a great career, Pettersen, competing in her ninth Solheim Cup, declared the scene so perfect it would be her final putt in professional golf. ‘This is it, i’m completely done,’ she said. What a way to bow out.

After the putt, there was bedlam as hundreds of people ran on to the green. The quiet and studious matthew was carried aloft on weary shoulders, her hands raised in triumph.

The Scot had set her heart on winning back the trophy on home soil — and here was her controversial wildcard selection completing the job. No wonder she was in rapture.

She once won a British Open three months after giving birth but even that success paled. ‘This is the best moment i’ve had in golf by far,’ she said.

While Pettersen hugged her young son Herman, the other heroines of the day couldn’t stop jumping up and down. There was the effervescent Law, one down with just five holes to play in a critical match against Ally mcdonald, but she got the job done, just as you knew she would.

Charley Hull had a meltdown on the 18th that looked as if it would prove so costly but she managed another halved match that meant a fine return of three points out of four.

There were also vital wins for Carlota Ciganda in the crucial first singles and Anna Nordqvist in the anchor match.

Ciganda took care of the brash American danielle Kang, who had promised to reduce the opposition to tears on the eve of the contest but was misty-eyed herself at the end of it after losing on the 18th. Nordqvist beat the tough American morgan Pressel.

There was the fantastic Georgia Hall and the brilliant French rookie, Celine Boutier. Only two Europeans had ever played in at least four matches in a Solheim Cup and emerged with maximum points — now there are two more to join the Swedes Sophie Gustafson in 2011 and Caroline Hedwall in 2013 after this pair combined for three wins out of three in tandem then won both their singles matches.

Both did so in typically gutsy fashion. Perhaps a little tired early on after their exertions over the first two days, they both fell two down early on, but bounced back impressively. Hall beat America’s best player Lexi Thompson with some marvellous shots down the stretch. Then she went back out on the course to watch Boutier defeat Annie Park.

Hall has had a disappointing year as she struggled to come to terms with her first major success in the British Open last year. But this makes up for it.

For the Americans, it was hard on their fine captain Juli inkster and the fabulous Korda sisters in particular.

‘i couldn’t ask for more from my team, we gave it everything and i’m so proud of them,’ said inkster.

As for the Kordas, Jess and Nelly both finished up with 31/2 points out of four, and it had looked as if the points they delivered might prove decisive.

Both their parents played tennis for the Czech Republic. Petr, their father, won the Australian Open. Their offspring may go on to enjoy even more successful careers than either mum or dad.

What an advert this was for the women’s game. What an endorsement for women’s sport. This was as good as it gets.