Throwback Thursday: Gimmegate overshadows Solheim Cup
The Background
Team Europe had built up a healthy 8-4 lead heading into the second day’s fourballs session having dominated the first three sessions of the Solheim Cup.
The lead had been cut to three as the final day’s matches were heading to conclusion with huge pressure on the outcome of Suzann Pettersen and Charley Hull’s match with Alison Lee and Brittany Lincicome.
The Scene
Hull had just rolled in a birdie on the 16th to get the match back to all square with two holes to play.
Petterson and Hull both missed birdie putts and Lee stood over a 12ft putt to win the hole and regain the lead in the match.
The American rookie missed with her ball sliding no more than 18 inches past the hole.
As Hull and Pettersen looked to walk off the green to the final hole, as Lee scooped her ball back, Pettersen stepped in.
The Norwegian claimed that they had not conceded the putt and therefore Lee suffered a shot penalty and in controversial fashion Europe won the hole and then won match.
The Legacy
The incident seemed to spur the United States team on and they went on to win the Solheim Cup but the controversial incident overshadowed the event.
A similar incident happened recently during a US Girls matchplay event where Elizabeth Moon rolled her ball back before the putt was given, meaning she lost her semi-final match.
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Matthew Beedle
Matthew has been playing golf since he was around 13 and took up the game at a local nine-hole municipal course with his friends before joining Pontefract & District Golf Club just over the hedge.
Still a member of Pontefract with a handicap of 3, he currently sits on the board of directors to help with digital and marketing initiatives in order to improve membership and visitor income.
Matthew graduated university with a First Class in Sports Journalism from Leeds Trinity University and has been working in the golf industry since graduating.
NCG’s social media & marketing manager, Matthew’s main job role is to increase website traffic to the National Club Golfer website via our email and social media channels as well as driving entries to grow our NCG Top 100s Tour events amongst other tasks.
Not one to change his equipment too often, Matthew currently plays the TaylorMade M2 driver which has lasted the test of time in his bag. Elsewhere, you’ll find him using the TaylorMade Stealth 2 three-wood with a Ping G425 Crossover 2-iron to aid his long game.
Through his 4-iron to Gap Wedge, Matthew uses the Ping i500 irons accompanied by Ping’s Glide 3.0 56-degree and 60-degree wedges.
Another club that has stood the test of time in his bag is a Nike Method Core MC-3i putter which has had to have the SuperStroke grip changed at least three times. Ball of choice is the Titleist ProV1.
