Pettersen won’t rake up past in rush for revenge
THOSE fearing a backlash as a consequence of Suzann Pettersen being handed a Solheim Cup wildcard have been given an assurance by United States captain Juli Inkster that the Americans have no intention of re-opening old wounds.
The feisty Norwegian was at the centre of one of the most controversial incidents in the history of the biennial event in Germany four years ago.
Pettersen claimed a hole in the fourballs after the USA’s Alison Lee had picked up the ball before the putt had been conceded.
Lee had to be comforted by her furious team-mates in the immediate aftermath of what was an unsavoury incident condemned by the golf world at large.
Pettersen, initially unrepentant before issuing a belated apology in the wake of Europe’s narrow defeat, avoided the wrath of American golf fans when she missed the most recent match at Iowa’s Des Moines County Club in 2017 due to injury.
But Europe captain Catriona Matthew somewhat surprisingly chose her over several other candidates at the age of 38, despite the eight-time Solheim Cup player having played competitively only twice in the space of 21 months.
Matthew said she had been persuaded to upgrade Pettersen from the role of a vice-captain after partnering her at the Dow Invitational as recently as July.
The Scot also stressed that she had complete faith in Pettersen, adding: ‘It’s not a gamble. I am 100-per-cent confident in that pick.’
Matthew was also no doubt influenced by Pettersen’s vast experience and her proven ability to perform under extreme pressure.
For her part, Pettersen was keen to move on from the incident. She said: ‘What happened in Germany was very unfortunate and I think everyone has learned from it. The Solheim is so intense and my head wasn’t thinking clear enough.’
Eyebrows were raised over Pettersen’s wild card after she had appeared to turn her back on the game at the top level following the birth of her son 13 months ago.
Inkster herself was a little surprised — and perhaps also a little dismayed — to learn that Pettersen would be featuring at Gleneagles this week.
But the 59-year-old Californian — the first three-time captain in the 29-year history of the event — also claimed: ‘It didn’t surprise me as far as team leadership is concerned, not only in the team room but also out on the course.
‘She’s Suzann Pettersen and she gets up for this stuff. It’s right in her wheelhouse.’
Inkster, looking to complete a unique hat-trick of wins and avenge two previous defeats on Scottish soil — at Dalmahoy in 1992 and Loch Lomond eight years later — is also apparently keen to let bygones be bygones.
‘We all look back on things in our life you wish you could maybe have done a little differently and I’m sure she feels that way,’ she said.
‘Personally speaking, I moved on the next day and I don’t have any ill-feelings whatsoever.
‘At the last Solheim, we saw great sportsmanship and we didn’t have any issues. Beanie (Matthew) and I are also good friends and I don’t think we are going to have any issues whatsoever.’
Kathryn Imrie, Matthew’s trusted assistant for the past two years, was also quick to support the decision to favour Pettersen over the likes of England’s Mel Reid.
But the Dundee-born former LPGA player also revealed that the issue of the final wildcard had been debated at length. ‘The meeting went on a bit longer than we had anticipated,’ said Imrie. ‘But when you are making big decisions, it’s not something you take lightly.
‘It was a bit of a strange situation. Suzann is extremely happy in her life now and all of a suddenly she wanted to get back into golf.
‘But Catriona is 100-per-cent confident with the team she’s picked and I think it’s the right one.
‘Suzann is too young and too good to walk off into the sunset and be a mum, in my opinion anyway.
‘People questioned her selection for reasons best known to themselves but she bring so much to the team room and the team.
‘She’s got the bit between her teeth again and it’s one we are all confident about. We think it’s a really strong team.
‘We’re all behind Beanie. She’s done a great job so far and it’s only going to get better.’