NAPLES, Fla. – Guests at the annual Rolex Awards ceremony Thursday night got to relive the most sensational moment of the year – the putt that clinched the Solheim Cup for Europe – from the legend herself.
“It’s a feeling that can never be topped,” said the newly-retired Suzann Pettersen, who was on hand to receive the Heather Farr Perseverance Award after coming back from a complicated pregnancy and the birth of her son to deliver an instant classic.
Pettersen, 38, insisted that her retirement was a spontaneous decision. In the midst of the mayhem on the 18th, a moment with her son was all it took to see the future clearly.
“It meant the world to me to perform at such a high level, now as a mom,” said Pettersen. “But the moment I held Herman, my heart told me instantly what the world was about to know. Enough is enough.”
The last thing Pettersen remembers before taking the putter back for the stroke that will define her legacy in this game is a television reporter saying “So here we have Suzann Pettersen …”
The rest, of course, is history.
“It felt like a fairy-tale,” she said.
People often ask Pettersen if she still would’ve retired had the putt missed.
“I never have to answer that,” she told Golf Channel host Tom Abbott with a laugh.
Brooke Henderson got the night started by accepting the Founders Award (formerly the William and Mousie Powell Award), given to the player whose behavior and deeds best exemplifies the spirit, ideals and values of the LPGA. Henderson was chosen by her peers.
The Commissioner’s Award went to KPMG. When John Veihmeyer, former global chair of KPMG who recently joined the LPGA board, signed on as title sponsor of the Women’s PGA Championship, the whole tour changed.
“KPMG made us realize we weren’t just great female athletes,” said LPGA commissioner Mike Whan. “We didn’t just provide hospitality and good television. We were a living, breathing microcosm of what diversity, inclusion and women’s leadership is all about.”
One of the most impactful moments of the evening belonged to Jeongeun Lee6, who flawlessly delivered her Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year acceptance speech in English. When Lee6 won the U.S. Women’s Open earlier this year, she made a promise that the next time she found herself in a similar situation, she’d be able to communicate in English.
Lee6’s three-minute speech, which she memorized, was an inspiring display of courage and hard work. She worked on it for months. When it was over, the rising South Korean star put her hands on her heart in a moment of pure joy and relief. She’d done it. The crowd gave her a standing ovation.
And then, of course, there was World No. 1 Jin Young Ko, who dominated the season with four wins, including two majors.
When introducing Ko, Whan recalled a time in 2015 when he told a similar crowd gathered in the same room that Lydia Ko might be the last player to ever win the Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year in back-to-back seasons. Yet there he was, four years later handing the POY award to Jin Young Ko. She’d become the fifth player to complete the feat, joining Nancy Lopez, Beth Daniel, Annika Sorenstam and Lydia Ko.
Whan also marveled at Ko’s greens in regulation percentage, 79. 1, a tour record. Not to mention her bogey-free streak of 114 holes, which broke Tiger Woods’ mark by four holes.
She even has a chance at breaking the 69 mark for scoring en route to the Vare Trophy, something that’s only been done by Sorenstam.
“I’ll just tell you this Jin Young,” said Whan. “You’re young, and you’ve got a lot of winning to do.
But at some point in our life you’re going to remember a night when the names they compared you with were Annika Sorenstam and Tiger Woods. I don’t know how big you dreamed as a young girl, but that’s as big as it gets.”
