Alison Lee’s Solheim Cup return brings back memories of controversial past

The Solheim Cup has produced drama in recent years but a 2015 incident has returned to focus ahead of the USA and Europe renewing their rivalry in Virginia

Team USA’s Alison Lee cries shortly after losing the 17th hole to Europe in controversial circumstances at St Leon-Rot Golf Club, Germany in 2015 (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Alison Lee was 20 when she made her Solheim Cup debut for the USA in 2015. It was, she recalls, “a very long time ago”, long enough that the American does not “remember much” of her rookie appearance in the victory over Europe, even though, for everyone else, she is the one thing they do remember.

In the years since, Lee has not experienced anything like the events that unfolded on the 17th green early on the final day in Germany. She has built a steady career plugging away on the LPGA Tour, picking up a smattering of top-10 finishes at major events, dropping down the world rankings, battling her way back, even claiming a couple of victories on the Aramco Team Series circuit.

Nine years later, she is back in the USA’s Solheim Cup team – qualifying on merit, just as she did in her rookie season out of UCLA – but all anyone wants to talk to her about is that moment on the 17th green early on the final day almost a decade ago, a moment that still hangs over the cup and will do so again this weekend at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Club in Virginia.

After all, what Lee found out during her first and last appearance in the event is that while the Solheim Cup features the same principles of competition produced in golf year round – victory, defeat, and yes, controversy – everything is dialled up to another level. It’s why a dispute over a tiny non-conceded putt continues to rumble on, brought back into focus by Lee’s return to the American side.

The incident occurred during the tense closing stages of the crucial final four-balls session, and with the European team holding a 9-6 lead over the USA. Lee and her partner Brittany Lincicome came into the 17th hole all square with Europe’s Suzann Pettersen and Charley Hull, and the 20-year-old Lee then had the opportunity to win the hole from around 10 feet. Lee’s putt slipped past the hole by about a foot and, believing she heard from the Europeans that the putt had been conceded, as Hull and her caddy started to walk off the green and towards the 17th tee, the American picked up her ball.

Team USA managers try to console Alison Lee on the 18th green at St Leon-Rot Golf Club, Germany in 2015 (Thomas Niedermueller/Getty Images)

Alison Lee faces the media at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, in Gainesville, Virginia, this week (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

However, Pettersen insisted that the putt had not been conceded and that Lee had, by mistake, lost the hole by picking up her ball. The European pair went on to win the match, sparking tears from a devastated Lee and anger from the USA team. Pettersen initially doubled down and the American captain, Juli Inkster, accused her of “bulls**t”. A day later, after the USA recorded a storming comeback from 10-6 down in the Sunday singles to win 14 1⁄2 to 13 1⁄2, a performance that was motivated largely by the perceived injustice of the non-conceded putt, Pettersen apologised.

The USA’s comeback was ultimately overshadowed by the controversy. “I’m not going to lie, I haven’t really talked to her at all since then,” Lee said of Pettersen this week. So naturally, the opposing captain Lee will face this weekend is Pettersen, who has remained in charge after Europe retained the Solheim Cup last year. Meanwhile, Hull, who was 19 in 2015 and was also left in tears following the events on the 17th green, is an integral part of a European team which has not been beaten in the competition since 2017. It’s why the USA and world No 1 Nelly Korda have warned that there is “unfinished business” between the teams.

Drama is guaranteed in the cup: from Pettersen sinking the winning putt on the final green to win the 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles, to last year in Spain when the singles came down to the final hour, before Carlota Ciganda retained it for Europe, the first time the competition finished as a tie. The margins have become so fine, and there will likely be some controversy, too.