Norway’s star golfer Suzann Pettersen couldn’t have hoped for a better end to a brilliant career on Sunday, when she putted her way to victory for Europe’s team at the Solheim Cup. Shortly after all the cheering and praise, the queen of the course known as “Tutta” at home in Norway declared herself “completely done” as a professional golfer.
“It doesn’t get any better,” Pettersen told Golf Channel during a post-tournament briefing with the members of her team. “This is it, I’m completely done.”
Pettersen confirmed that she hadn’t thought she’d even take part in the Solheim Cup that pits Europe’s best golfers against their American counterparts. She had already cut back after moving home to Norway and having her first child last year, noting that her life has “changed so much.”
She made a comeback this past summer, however, and ended up taking part in her ninth Solheim Cup that played out in Scotland over the weekend. The European team went on to beat the US’ team for the first time since 2013.
Pettersen, now age 38, called it the “perfect closure” to a career that ranked her tops in the world and made her Norway’s most outstanding golfer ever. Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) noted how she has won 21 tournaments including two Major-titles: The LPGA championship in 2007 and the Evian championship in 2013.
“She will always be the queen of the Solheim Cup,” commentator Joakim Mikkelsen told NRK. “I was actually a bit surprised when she came back after becoming a mother, but again, this is probably the perfect way to end a fantastic career.”
Her husband Christian Fredrik Ringvold confirmed to NRK that Pettersen was ending her career as a professional player. Even though she declared during the session with Golf Channel that she doesn’t “have any plans from tomorrow,” many sports commentators think she’ll keep playing golf and continue her international involvement with the sport in some manner.
Now she says she mostly wants to spend more time with her 13-month old son Herman. “Now I know what it feel like to win as a mom,” she told Golf Channel. “I’m going to leave it at that.”
newsinenglish.no staff
