Alison Lee is preparing for just her second Solheim Cup appearance at this year’s Robert Trent Jones Golf Club match after making her bow in 2015.
Despite the US winning on that occasion, Lee’s experience of it was soured by an incident involving current Team Europe captain Suzann Pettersen.
In the day two four-ball session, which was completed on the Sunday because of darkness, Lee was paired with Brittany Lincicome against Pettersen and Charley Hull. With the match all square on the 17th, Lee missed a putt to win the hole.
The rookie thought the Europeans had conceded the 18-inch putt that remained and scooped her ball up with her putter, until Pettersen pointed out that it hadn’t been conceded after all, therefore giving the Europeans the hole and ultimately the match on the 18th.
That led to Team US captain Juli Inkster, among others, claiming Pettersen’s behavior had been unsportsmanlike, and the Norwegian eventually issued an apology for the action.
Nine years on, Lee has reflected on the incident, which became known as "gimmegate," and admitted it was tough to take at the time. Speaking to the media before the match, which begins on Friday, she said:
“I'm not going to lie, I don't think about it too often. It was a very long time ago. I would say in the moment it was tough. I was very intimidated at the time, like I said. I was a rookie on Tour. I didn't really know any of the girls on my team either. I wasn't really good friends with them."
Despite the controversial incident, Lee took comfort from the support she received from teammates. She added: “I just felt like the newbie, young girl, who kind of made it on the team, and everyone thankfully just rallied behind me and were so warm and welcoming and did everything they could to support me.
“Regardless of everything that happened, I feel like I was so lucky to have a great group of women around me who could support me and be there for me.”
Lee didn’t make the team for the 2023 Solheim Cup at Finca Cortesin, and she admitted missing out on it had been difficult, but it motivated her to ensure she qualified automatically this year.
She said: “I was very heartbroken when Stacy gave me a call and had a conversation with me and told me I wasn't on the team. Yeah, that really motivated me to have a really good year this year. I feel like I've been out here for so long. I don't know how many more years I have on Tour. So to be able to make this team means a lot.”
Given her absence in Spain, this year's match will mark the first time since 2015 that she has faced Pettersen in opposition at the Solheim Cup, albeit with the Norwegian in the captaincy role for the Europeans nowadays. She admitted the pair hadn’t addressed the issue in the time since. She added: “I mean, I'm not going to lie, I haven't really talked to her at all since then.”
Regardless of the past, Lee is determined to make the most of her second chance to experience a Solheim Cup. She said: “Nine years later since my rookie year and playing on my first Solheim Cup team, to be back here and make it on the team means so much, and I'm really excited to play this week.”
The Solheim Cup begins on Friday 13 September at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.
