Weekend Wrap-up - USA enjoy miracle comeback

Post by Sports Writer, Derek Clements

Solheim Cup

United States produced a stunning fightback to win a bad-tempered Solheim Cup clash in Germany by a single point.

Europe went into the crucial singles encounters leading 10-6, needing just four points to retain the trophy for a third time. However, they ran out of steam and were steamrollered by Juli Inkster's team, who produced some of the best golf ever seen in this contest.

Cristie Kerr played 12 holes in nine under, while Michelle Wie was eight under par. The scoreboard was awash with birdies and eagles, and the European women played their part too, with Mel Reid finishing off her week with another victory.

Sadly, however, the match is more likely to be remembered for all the wrong reasons – and not for the first time. The Americans had already complained that Europe's players were being coached on the course by the European management team, which included Annika Sorenstam.

Nobody wants to lose a match of this importance, but gamesmanship reached a new low as the players returned to the course to finish three uncompleted fourball matches. Suzann Pettersen and Charley Hull were playing Alison Lee and Brittany Lincicome. With three holes to play, the Americans were one up. Hull birdied the 16th to square the match. Then came the 17th. Lee had a 12-foot birdie putt to win the hole, missed it and the ball rolled 15 inches past the hole. Hull turned on her heels to walk towards the 18th, a sign that all golfers would recognise as the putt being conceded. Lee duly picked up the ball. However, Pettersen informed the Americans that the putt had not been conceded. Thus, the Americans lost the hole, and Europe took the winning point.

Inkster and her team were furious – and quite rightly. It was a shameful display by Pettersen, and it ended with her partner, Hull, in tears. It backfired in spectacular fashion as the Americans, feeling a huge sense of injustice, returned to the course fired up – and swept Europe aside, winning 14.5-13.5.

It is a pity that a classic contest should be marred by such a distasteful incident. Hopefully, it will be the last time we see anything like this. The powers-that-be need to get together and remind their players of the importance of sportsmanship. When the battle is renewed in America in two years' time it is safe to say that Pettersen will receive a hostile reception. She earns her living on the LPGA Tour and will surely be living to regret her actions.

European Tour

Martin Kaymer, meanwhile, will be regretting his performance on the final nine during the last round of the Italian Open in Milan. The German reached the turn in 32 shots, was three in front and on cruise control. And then it all started to go wrong. A series of wayward approaches, fluffed chips, poor bunker shots and missed putts saw Kaymer fall out of the lead. At one point there were nine players tied on 18 under par, and any one of them could have won.

They included Danny Willett and Matthew Fitzpatrick, who both produced some seriously good golf as Kaymer faltered. But 18 under always looked like it was going to be at least one short of the total required to win. And so it proved.

Rikard Karlberg, tipped by many as a star of the future, turned out to be a man of the moment as he finished with a round of 67 that moved him to 19 under par. Kaymer battled back to reach the same mark, and so the two men headed off to play the 18th hole again to decide who would become Italian Open champion. Kaymer, an 11-time winner on the European Tour and winner of two majors, was the hot favourite.

Both men had parred the 18th all week and did so again on the first playoff hole, but Karlberg managed a birdie when they played again and, with it, his first victory on tour, one that secures his playing rights until 2017.

David Lipsky, Lucas Bjerregaard, Jens Fahrbring and Fabrizio Zanotti all had chances to win before joining Willett and Fitzpatrick on 18 under.

Karlberg insists that the win came as no surprise to him, but he was still delighted. "I thought I had a good chance because I have been playing well. I didn't think I had done enough but then I made birdies at the 16th and 17th. To beat a player of the calibre of Martin makes it all very special."

Kaymer knew he had thrown away a great opportunity. "Naturally, I am very disappointed. I had everything under control but I just didn't play well enough on the second nine. Fair play to Rikard though, as he did what he had to do."

PGA Tour

On the other side of the pond, Jason Day won for the fifth time in 2015, and the fourth in barely a month as he completed the formality of winning the BMW Championship. It is his second win in the FedEx Cup Playoff Series and it means he goes to the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lakes knowing that he is assured of collecting the $10m bonus that goes to the series winner.

Day is playing the best golf of his life just now and his latest win means he overtakes Rory McIlroy as world No1. He won the BMW as a result of his opening rounds of 61 and 63, which equalled the PGA Tour's 36-hole record. He began the final round in utter control and it was quickly obvious that he was struggling for motivation. The driver that had been so reliable was suddenly a little wayward, the putts that were dropping so unfailingly were now coming up short, but the outcome was never in doubt.

The only interest concerned the identity of the man who would finish second. Would it be Daniel Berger? Would it be Rickie Fowler? Or could Hideki Matsuyama, JB Holmes, Scott Piercy or Rory McIlroy finish as runner-up? As they jockeyed for position towards the end of the round, Day was 20 under par, his nearest challenger Berger at 16 under.

McIlroy played brilliantly. Unfortunately, his putter didn't. Typical of his day was the 17th, a par three at which he struck a glorious shot to eight feet. His birdie putt didn't touch the hole. At the same moment, Day was holing a birdie putt at the 16th to move to 21 under and extend his lead over Berger to five shots. Day also birdied the 18th for a winning total of 22 under and, with it, confirmation of his new status as world number one.

Second place went to Berger, who qualifies for the Tour Championship after finishing 16 under and is favourite to finish the season as Rookie of the Year. Piercy recovered from a shocking front nine to finish just behind Berger.