Golf-I would do same again, says unrepentant Pettersen

By Tony Jimenez ST LEON-ROT, Germany, Sept 20 (Reuters) - European stalwart Suzann Pettersen, the subject of most of the U.S. anger on a stormy final day of the Solheim Cup, had no regrets over her part in a controversial incident on Sunday. The Americans were bitterly disappointed when Alison Lee and Brittany Lincicome lost to Pettersen and Charley Hull by two holes in the morning fourballs carried over from Saturday. With the fourball match all square, rookie Lee mistakenly believed her 16-inch putt at the 17th had been conceded by her opponents and picked the ball up, leaving the referee no choice but to award the hole to the Europeans. After Europe let slip a 10-6 overall lead in the match to lose by 14-1/2 points to 13-1/2, Pettersen was asked if she would do the same by not conceding a similar length putt in the future. "Totally. We are all trying to win," the world number eight told reporters. "It was very clear from Charley and me that we wanted to see the putt (taken)," added Pettersen, a veteran of eight Solheim Cup campaigns. European captain Carin Koch explained that earlier in the week officials had been specific about what players needed to do when it came to conceding putts. "We had a rules meeting where they clearly told us how important it is to make sure that someone has conceded the putt and no one did," said Koch. "It wasn't a short enough putt where they would have even given it." Sunday's incident had a profound effect on Lee, 20, and 19-year-old Englishwoman Hull, with both players in tears on the 18th green at the end of their fourball encounter. Lee said she thought one of her opponents had verbally conceded the putt but Pettersen said she and Hull were silent. "I've never been more quiet in my life after seeing her first putt," added the 34-year-old Norwegian. "We didn't say a word and unfortunately she picked up." Hull, Europe's outstanding player for the second successive Solheim Cup with four wins from five matches, backed up her partner. "I was walking over to Suzann to discuss whether or not to give the putt and then I turned around and Alison picked up," said the teenager. "A few people are saying I was walking off the green. If they watch again I was talking to Suzann." European captain Carin Koch said it was the Americans who had erred. "We didn't feel like we did anything wrong," said the Swede. There was one positive outcome for Pettersen in terms of her social media profile. "I have a lot more followers on Twitter than I had when I teed up this morning," she laughed. (Editing by Pritha Sarkar)