THE AMERICAN inventor Thomas Edison once observed that “opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.” Fortunately for the European team at the Solheim Cup Suzann Pettersen has both a keen sense of occasion and is not afraid to graft. Her timing, in every sense of the word, was flawless.

The contradiction of matchplay singles in a team environment is that it is very difficult to trace the DNA of victory to one person or one incident. It’s rarely a linear equation.

However, while Caroline Hedwall conjured a remarkable feat of escapology to pilfer a half in her match and young Azahara Munoz produced a second shot to the par four 17th of stunning quality, it was Pettersen who provided the shot of adrenaline that energised, team-mates and galleries alike.

Playing against Michelle Wie, the 30-year-old Norwegian was one down with three holes to play, her opponent just having birdied the par-five 16th: at that point, European hopes of wresting the trophy appeared somewhat fanciful unless there was a primary shift in momentum.

Pettersen is known for her mental strength but the closing three holes were a homily to gorgeous iron play and an assured touch on the greens. The latter came first when she caressed a slippery, 18 foot downhill putt on the par-three 16th into the hole. Wie, who had celebrated raucously on the previous, green, blinked.

It was merely an aperitif, but to her credit the American demonstrated the calibre of her character on the 17th green by rolling in a putt about three times the length of Pettersen’s; both claimed birdies. The contest was decided by the second shots to home green. The European totem and world number two, put the ball six feet from the hole. Wie found sand, a graveyard of ambition.

Pettersen’s remarkable birdie, birdie, birdie finish demonstrated what might be achieved if talent and application coexisted. Hedwall and Munoz picked up the gauntlet. The Norwegian had won the Irish Open at Killeen Castle by six strokes earlier this year and those positive memories may have provided a stimulus.

Somewhat bemused in the aftermath and drained by the emotion she found it difficult to articulate how she’d unlocked the victory. “I don’t know. I seem to be able to dig it out, but I get older every time it happens. I think I have more grey hair than when I started today; but this is just fantastic.”

In a lighter moment at the winners’ press conference, when quizzed about where she’d got the birdies, she replied: “I don’t know. I found them on eBay this morning. This is all about the team. You don’t give up until the very end.

“So like some of you said, with an hour and something left, it looked like we were coming short, but who cares. It’s not done before all the points are handed out. I think we went back out on the cart (after the lightning delay), Aza (Munoz), (Caroline) Hedwall and myself and decided, ‘let’s at least get the three points that are sitting on this cart’ and we did. So that’s fantastic work from all of us fighting until the very end.

“I had to make it (the birdie putt on the 16th). There was only one execution and it was to hole the putt to even have a chance to get my full point. I seemed to have some luck on that green yesterday (Saturday) and today (Sunday). On Saturday we ran short; today it was enough.

“You have just got to take every moment with you, because the moments you go through during the Solheim Cup are just phenomenal. I guess we’ll all remember this for the rest of our lives. It’s just fantastic.”

Pettersen was keen to retrain the spotlight elsewhere, strating with her captain. “She (Alison Nicholas) couldn’t have delivered better. We had a tough challenge ahead of us going into the morning but this is just outstanding, great for European golf.

“We knew that it was going to come down to the last couple if we were to have a chance. It is just fantastic, an absolutely brilliant team and what a way to finish on home soil.”

And what of the rookies? “Superstars, all of them.”

After yesterday’s exploits it’s a pretty one-sided argument but one one is unlikely to gloss over Pettersen’s inspiration.