TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2015 SPORTS GERMANY: Team United States celebrates with the trophy after beating Europe in the Golf Solheim Cup. — AP US tears turn to joy as Europe stumble HEIDELBERG: After a dramatic, controversial great golf and showed great heart. I didn’t real- ter. “I can’t believe it,” she said. “It’s not right to and tearful final day, the USA defeated Europe ly need to motivate them they were just all so do that to your peers. It’s disrespectful. But if on Sunday to win the Solheim Cup for the first determined to get the Cup back.” The contro- that’s the way they want to win. I just don’t get time since 2009. versial incident definitely helped galvanise the it. I expected Carin to step in.” Behind 10-6 going into the 12 singles-the visiting team. In the singles, Karine Icher struck the first same score that Europe trailed the USA before With three of the fourball matches held over blow for Europe with a 3 and 2 win over coming back to win the Ryder Cup at Medinah from Saturday due to bad light, play started Lincicome and Carlota Ciganda added another in 2012 — the US triumphed by a point, 14 1/2 early with Europe winning one point and the half point against Lexi Thompson in a classy to 13 1.2. Paula Creamer claimed the winning USA taking another. top match that shared 14 birdies. point in the final singles match with a 4 and 3 The third and final match featuring Suzann But then the tide began to turn. Morgan win over Sandra Gal. Pettersen and Hull was all square with two Pressel claimed the first full point for the Earlier in the day, Alison Lee had been holes to play against Lee and Brittany Americans with a final hole win over Catriona reduced to tears after her mistake controver- Lincicome. Lee missed her birdie putt and then Matthew, who had only lost one of her seven sially cost the United States a point as Europe assumed hat her next putt had been given and previous Solheim singles matches. Europe hit led took a 10-6 lead following the delayed four- she picked up her ball. Hull was walking to the back when Melissa Reid claimed a 2 and 1 win balls. Feeling hard done by, the USA found the next tee, but Pettersen called the referee and over Brittany Lang. It was an emotional win for extra inspiration to win 8 1/2 out of 12 singles pointed out that there had been no conces- the 28-year-old as her mother, Joy, was killed in points. sion. a traffic accident while watching her daughter Europe came close as American Gerina Piller That meant the US incurred a penalty stoke play in a tournament in Germany in 2012. had to hole a 12-foot par putt at the 18th to and so they lost the hole. Europe went on to “I knew we needed this point,” said the secure a vital full point against Caroline win the point-which would otherwise have English woman after hugging her father, Brian, Masson, while Cristie Kerr, three down after gone the Americans’ way-and emotions boiled who survived the car crash. “It’s huge. I have a four holes against Charley Hull, won six of the over with both Lee and Hull in tears at the end. lot of credit to give to my family.” Lee then got next eight holes to claim a 3 and 2 win. Pettersen’s action was backed by European a smile on her face with a 3 and 1 win over Creamer had the honour of clinching the Cup captain Carin Koch. “There was a rules meeting Gwladys Nocera and more points followed for and finally breaking European hearts. at the start of the week and the players knew the USA from Piller, Michelle Wie, Lizette Salas, USA Captain Juli Inkster was joyous. “I am so they had to wait until a putt was conceded,” Angela Stanford, Cristie Kerr and, finally, GERMANY: Paula Creamer of United States wipes away tears after Day 3 at the Solheim proud of my team,” she said. “They all played said the Swede. But Inkster was extremely bit- Creamer. — AFP Cup golf tournament. — AP Karlberg beats Kaymer Australia’s Day grabs to clinch Italian Open MONZA: Sweden’s Rikard Karlberg won his first European Tour number one ranking event on Sunday as he defeated Germany’s Martin Kaymer in a play-off to lift the Italian Open title at Monza. CHICAGO: Jason Day claimed his seventh my time to start winning tournaments. Ever The 28-year-old from Gothenburg drained a 15ft birdie USPGA Tour victory on Sunday to take over the since then it has been a phenomenal run,” said putt at the second play-off hole after a brilliant approach shot world number one ranking, becoming the Day who was struck down at the US Open in from the left rough set up the winning opportunity. third player in as many weeks to capture golf’s June by ongoing vertigo issues. Kaymer was also well positioned but left his 20-footer short coveted top spot. American Daniel Berger shot a 69 to finish in of the cup and failed in his bid for a first victory since winning The 27-year-old Australian went wire-to- sole possession of second on 268 while Scott the 2014 US Open. wire, closing with his second straight two- Piercy (70) finished solo third, seven strokes Both playes had finished 72 holes on 19-under at the par- under 69 to win by six strokes at the BMW adrift of Day. McIlroy (70), JB Holmes (68) and 72 Golf Club Milano on a clear sunny day in Milan. “It’s crazy, I Championship, the third of four tournaments Rickie Fowler (69) tied for third at 14-under told my caddy on the last five holes that we probably needed in the FedEx Cup playoffs. “All I want to do is 270. Spieth shot one-under 70 to finish tied for five birdies to have a chance and two was enough to get in a play-off and get my first win and to do it against (Martin) win,” said Day, who has won four of his last six 13th. Day becomes the youngest Aussie to Kaymer, it feels unbelievable,” said Karlberg. tournaments, including his first major at last reach number one and the third in history “I just tried to hit the fairway which I wasn’t even close to month’s PGA Championship. “Yesterday and behind Greg Norman and Adam Scott. doing and just seeing him splitting the fairway felt, ‘okay, I’m today was the toughest rounds I have ever had It was also Day’s fifth win of 2015 as he joins not going to win on his mistake, I need to do a birdie. to play in my life.” Tiger Woods and Vijay Singh as the only players “I had a perfect yardage on the last shot there and a good Day began his final round with a six-shot in the last 20 years to win at least that many in lie, thankfully. It was a little bit lucky but I hit it great. It felt lead over a star-studded pack that included a season. nice.” Seven players tied for third place including Swedes Rory McIlroy, who Day toppled from the num- “Tomorrow I am going to become the num- Joakim Lagergren and Jens Fahrbring, English pair Matthew ber one spot, and US Open and Masters winner ber one player in the world. It has been an Fitzpatrick and Danny Willett, Paraguayan Fabrizio Zanotti, Jordan Spieth-who was ranked second going amazing ride,” said Day, who now has a chance Lucas Bjerregaard of Denmark and American David Lipsky. into the event after trading the top spot with to pass Spieth for PGA Tour player of the year Kaymer had earlier carved out a two-stroke lead, thanks to McIlroy. Several players tried to make a charge honors. four birdies down the front nine but three bogeys at 10, 13 at Day on Sunday but the Queensland native Day had back to back 69s on the weekend and 14 opened the door for Karlberg who pulled level thanks wasn’t going to wilt. He held them off by stay- after following up an opening round 10-under to birdies at 16 and 17. The Swede, who has two wins on the ing out of trouble and making sure he main- 61 with a 63 on Friday. He leads the point Asian Tour, missed the fairway at both play-off holes but tained his aggressive approach around the standings after winning two of four events in scrambled a par at the first and then won the tournament greens. the FedEx Cup playoffs heading into the Tour with a cool-headed putt on the second time round at the 18th He added a few birdies for good measure, Championship next week in Atlanta-where a hole. It would have been the 12th EPGA victory for the 30- like the one on the par-four 16th when he $10 million bonus is on offer to the playoff year-old Kaymer from Dusseldorf, who won his first major at drained a 15-foot putt, and then on his closing series winner. the 2010 PGA Championship. Frenchman Romain Wattel, who shared the overnight lead, hole to reach 22-under 262. McIlroy had two birdies, two pars, an eagle bogeyed the 17th and finished alone in 10th and two shots Day said the 2015 Open Championship at and a bogey in his final six holes Sunday.