Controversial Putt Causes Solheim Cup Drama

There was huge drama at the Solheim Cup, when Nelly Korda's overhanging putt was picked up after seven seconds, and not the allotted 10.

Controversial Putt Causes Solheim Cup Drama

It wouldn’t be a Solheim Cup without controversy and drama, and, at the 13th hole, we saw just that.

Putting for eagle, Nelly Korda left her putt overhanging the hole. As the American sunk to her knees, her opponent, Madelene Sagstrom, threw the ball back to her.

As play moved on, a rules official (Missy Jones) came over to the players and stated that Korda’s ball should have been given 10 seconds on the lip to see if it would drop.

Since Sagstrom had only given it seven seconds, it meant that she had broken rule 13.3a, which says: “If your opponent in match play or another player in stroke play, deliberately lifts or moves the player’s ball overhanging the hole before the waiting time has ended, then in match play, the player’s ball is treated as holed with the previous stroke, and there is no penalty to the opponent.”

As a result, Korda actually eagled the 13th, meaning that the hole was won by team USA.

Watch the incident below:

Sagstrom, who had picked the ball up, pleaded her case to rules official, Jones, saying: “But it was never going to go in. … It was not hanging on the hole. Can we get TV to look at it?”

After looking over the footage, the Chief Referee determined that the ball was overhanging the hole, and her putt was considered holed as per rule 13.3a.

Related: What’s The Ruling When Your Ball Is Overhanging The Hole?

The controversial decision of course caused a storm on social media, with multiple people voicing their opinions.

Two times LET winner, Meghan MacLaren, simply tweeted: “hahahahaha reallyyyyyy,” with Thomas Bjorn tweeting: “Nothing like when rules officials want to be the centre of attention…”

Maureen Madill didn’t mince her words on the matter, saying: “Words fail me. Neither Korda nor Ewing did anything to stop Sagstrom picking up their ball, which was patently not moving. Americans must be desperate.”

Drama in 2015. (Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images)

Not everyone was against the decision by the rules official, with Geoff Shackelford tweeting: “Overhanging or not is the question here. The (European) picked up the (American)  ball after 7 seconds, Korda/Ewing win hole. @missyjonjones made the call based on another official determining it was overhanging.

This isn’t the first time we’ve seen controversy at the Solheim Cup. In 2015, America’s Alison Lee and Brittany Lincicome were playing against Suzann Pettersen and Charley Hull.

The Americans, who were tied with the Europeans on the 17th hole, had a putt to win. Lee missed, and thought she heard from her competitors that the 18-inch putt she had left was conceded. She picked up the ball, and Pettersen said the putt had not been conceded.

Tears were shed on both sides, and the American duo ended up losing the match, 2 down.

This article Controversial Putt Causes Solheim Cup Drama appeared first on Golf Monthly.