HEIDELBERG (GERMANY) - It was honours even at 2-all after the first day's morning foursomes at the Solheim Cup on Friday as the USA began the difficult task of wrestling back the trophy from Team Europe and preventing a third defeat in a row.
Solheim Cup captains Juli Inkster (right) and Carin Koch pose with the trophy ahead of the event which is being held at the St.Leon-Rot golf club in Germany
Paula Creamer, out of sorts on Tour in recent weeks, and Morgan Pressel won an important top match against Norway's Suzann Pettersen and Swede Anna Nordqvist to claim first blood for the Americans at Golf Club St Leon-Rot, but the Europeans hit back to win the second and final matches.
The third foursomes was a real humdinger, and Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson were mightily relieved to prevent a thrilling comeback from France's Karine Icher and Azahara Munoz of Spain.
Four up with six to play, Icher and Munoz won the 13th, 14th and 15th with birdies to reduce the defect to just one. But, at the 17th, Munoz drove into rough and the home side failed to make par.
Thompson also hit into rough – but her side got lucky, were given a free drop from a wet patch and went on to close out the match by 2 and 1.
Catriona Matthew, the oldest player in the field at 46, was in outstanding form alongside Sandra Gal in the final match.
"It's fantastic to get the point," said Matthew, who holed a string of birdie putts.
"It was nip and tuck most of the way but we made a lot of important putts."
For Germany's Gal – set to play with compatriot Carolin Masson in the afternoon fourballs - it was special to play in front of a home crowd.
"They were great," she said. "They really pulled us along."
Creamer has missed four cuts in a row on the LPGA circuit, but she has a terrific Solheim record and she partnered Pressel to a 3 and 2 victory over the European top pair.
"We are good buddies and we feel very comfortable together," said Creamer, playing in her sixth successive Solheim. "We had a tough pairing."
Pressel admitted they had listened to captain's orders. "Juli (Inkster) told us to go out and get the first point," she said. "We are great friends and we have similar games and it really worked."
It was the English pair of teenager Charley Hull and Melissa Reid that claimed Europe's second point. They defeated the big hitting pair of Michelle Wie and Brittany Lincicome by 2 and 1.
Alison Lee, the American rookie who had been suffering from food poisoning, has recovered to play in the afternoon fourballs. She joins Angela Stanford against Hull and Gwladys Nocera.