Monday 21 September 2015 15:33, UK
Suzann Pettersen says she has "never felt more gutted" and feels she let her team down with her conduct during the Solheim Cup defeat to the USA.
The Americans battled back in stunning style to regain the Cup but the headlines have focused on a controversial incident on Sunday morning that left some of the players in tears.
World No 8 Pettersen and Charley Hull were playing rookie Alison Lee and Brittany Lincicome and tempers erupted when Lee picked up her ball at 17 thinking her 16-inch putt had been conceded.
The Americans were furious as the European pair won the hole having insisted they had not given their opponents the putt.
Pettersen, playing in her eighth Solheim Cup, initially insisted she would repeat her actions if presented with similar circumstances, but on Monday morning the 34-year-old Norwegian had changed her tact.
Revealing her thoughts on Instagram, Pettersen said: "I've never felt more gutted and truly sad about what went down on Sunday. I am so sorry for not thinking about the bigger picture in the heat of the battle and competition.
"I was trying my hardest for my team and put the single match and the point that could be earned ahead of sportsmanship and the game of golf itself! I feel like I let my team down and I am sorry."
Emotions were running high throughout the final stages of the contest with Hull and Lee in tears after their match and American captain Juli Inkster accusing their opponents of disrespect.
Inkster's team won nine and halved one of the 12 singles on Sunday at St Leon-Rot to secure a 14½-13½ triumph having clearly been buoyed by Stacy Lewis who said on the back of the bitter fourballs finish: "Let's use this to motivate ourselves."
Pettersen's statement continued: "To the US team, you guys have a great leader in Juli , who I've always looked up to and respect so much. Knowing I need to make things 'right', I had a face to face chat with her before leaving Germany this morning to tell her in person how I really feel about all of this. I wanted her also to know that I am sorry.
"I hope in time the US team will forgive me and know that I have learned a valuable lesson about what is truly important in this great game of golf which has given me so much in my life.
"To the fans of golf who watched the competition on TV, I am sorry for the way I carried myself. I can be so much better and being an ambassador for this great game means a lot to me.
"The Solheim Cup has been a huge part of my career. I wish I could change Sunday for many reasons. Unfortunately I can't. This week I want to push forward toward another opportunity to earn the Solheim Cup back for Europe in the right way.
"I want to work hard to earn back your belief in me as someone who plays hard, plays fair and plays the great game of golf the right way."
