Kerr out as U.S lose

DUNSANY, Ireland - United States captain Rosie Jones had no regrets about her management of Cristie Kerr’s injury after watching her team miss out on retaining the Solheim Cup by a point.

Kerr broke down in tears during the warm-up ahead of Sunday’s singles when it became apparent that she would be unable to play any part in the final day because of tendinitis in her right arm.

That gave Karen Stupples of England a point by forfeit and Europe went on to win 15-13.

The U.S. needed 14 points to retain the cup.

“The last thing I did right before I submitted my pairings was to check on Cristie, because she was playing in some of the last matches, to make sure she was ready to go. She felt good.

“Unfortunately, overnight the inflammation was too much and we lost the opportunity for her to play today.’’

Jones picked Kerr in all four sessions on the opening two days, despite admitting that she had concerns about her top-ranked player since Friday morning.

Europe achieved its first Solheim Cup victory since 2003 thanks to a strong finish in the singles. The United States, which leads the series 8-4, will try to win back the trophy at the Colorado Golf Club in Denver in 2013.

AP