United States captain Juli Inkster slams 'disrespectful' Europe and 'b***s***' decision after Solheim Cup is marred by Suzann Pettersen's call not to concede putt

• Final day of the Solheim Cup is overshadowed by controversy
• Europe's Suzann Pettersen refused to concede a putt after America's Alison Lee missed on the 17th green
• Rookie Lee scooped up her ball after seeing Pettersen's partner Charley Hull walk off towards the 18th tee 
• It meant Europe won the hole and subsequently won the fourballs match
• Lee and Hull were both left in tears following the controversial incident
• US captain Juli Inkster criticised 'disrespectful' Europe afterwards

By Adam Shergold for MailOnline and Phil Blanche, Press Association Sport

Published: 05:20 EST, 20 September 2015 | Updated: 07:48 EST, 20 September 2015

United States team captain Juli Inkster branded Europe 'disrespectful' after a controversial incident overshadowed the final session of the Solheim Cup in Germany.

In the final fourball match carried over from Saturday, Europe's Suzann Pettersen and Charley Hull were all square with two holes to play against Brittany Lincicome and Alison Lee of the United States.

Lee missed a birdie putt to win the 17th and, after the ball finished two feet behind the hole, scooped it up with her putter thinking it was certain to be conceded.

A tearful Alison Lee of the United States is consoled after being told her short putt on the 17th hole had not been conceded by Europe during their fourballs contest with Charley Hull and Suzann Pettersen 

US team captain Juli Inkster (left) called the situation 'b*******' and described Europe as 'disrespectful' 

Europe's Charley Hull was also left in tears following the incident after she mistakenly thought her team-mate Suzann Pettersen had conceded the putt and started walking towards the 18th tee

Inkster, pictured on Saturday, said Europe had been 'disrespectful' but said the incident would motivate her team ahead of the singles matches later on Sunday

Hull gave that impression as she was already walking across the front of the green towards the 18th tee, but Pettersen said they have not conceded the putt and therefore won the hole.

A par on the 18th was enough for the European pair to win the match, but 19-year-old Hull and 20-year-old rookie Lee were reduced to tears as heated discussions took place around the green.

And captain Inkster was outspoken in her criticism of the European team, saying: 'I have never seen anything like it in my career. It's just not right. You just don't do that to your peers. It's disrespectful.

'I saw Charley walking off and Suzann kind of turned her back and then Suzann said she did not give it to her (Lee).

'It was even anyway, they could have won the 18th hole, we could have halved. It's just BS [b*******] as far as I'm concerned.

'I thought it was a great week for women's golf and to have put a dampener on that, you could never justify that.'

20-year-old rookie Lee was left in tears after she scooped up her ball believing Europe had conceded

Europe's Suzann Pettersen explains her decision not to concede to her captain Carin Koch 

Pettersen in discussion with Europe vice-captain Annika Sorenstam after her decision not to concede

Lee left the 17th hole in tears as the Solheim Cup was shrouded in controversy

Inkster had to console a despondent Lee after the moment of controversy. 'I told her she didn't do anything wrong. I would say 95 per cent of us would have done that. They could have changed it, but they didn't.'

Asked for her reaction on Sky Sports 4, 12-time Solheim Cup player Dame Laura Davies said: 'Disgusted. We have got our best player, Charley Hull, who has just won a point and she is in floods of tears. That tells you the wrong thing was done.

'How Suzann can justify that I will never, ever know. We are all fierce competitors but ultimately it's unfair. We have to play week in, week out together and you do not do something like that to a fellow pro.

'Poor old Alison Lee must think 'I hope I never play a Solheim Cup again'. She has had food poisoning and now she has been wronged by one of the most senior players in golf and (who) used to be one of the most respected players.

'I know (Pettersen) is angry and justifying everything, but she has let herself down and she has certainly let her team down. I am so glad I am not on that team this time.

'If they win they are going to think 'Why did we do that?' or 'why did Suzann do that?''

LPGA referee Dan Maselli informs Lee that her putt is not conceded on the 17th green

Pettersen (left) explains to referee Maselli that she has not conceded the putt as Charley Hull (right) looks on

Lee is comforted by her playing partner Brittany Linicome as she walks from the 17th green

American Nicole Castrale, who was on the winning side in 2007 and 2009, felt that European captain Carin Koch or one of her assistants should have intervened.

'Never mind what Suzann did, how about Carin Koch, Annika Sorenstam, Sophie Gustafson or Maria McBride,' Castrale said on Sky Sports 4. 'They all had the chance to make this right and none of them stepped up to the plate.

'This is the way they obviously felt like they had to win. If the Europeans win, it will forever be tarnished.'

The incident overshadowed an excellent morning for the home side, with Caroline Masson and Caroline Hedwall losing to Lewis and Gerina Piller but Catriona Matthew and Karine Icher beating Lizette Salas and Brittany Lang.

Hull's birdie on the 16th had got the final match back to all square before the controversy erupted on the 17th, where the European pair had missed their birdie attempts to leave Lee with a chance to win the hole.

Koch approached match referee Dan Maselli on the 18th to ask if there was anything she could do and was told the European pair could concede the hole and therefore halve the match.

However, Koch decided against that after learning that Pettersen and Hull would not have conceded the par putt on the 17th, adding on Sky Sports 4: 'We have to follow the rules. We had a rules meeting where it was stated you have to concede a putt very clearly.'

Asked if it was possible to change the result of match now, Inkster added: 'It's a done deal and you know what, we don't want it now.'

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