HOLDERS the United States rode a surge of late momentum to lead Europe 2½-1½ after the opening fourball matches at the Solheim Cup.
Scotland's Catriona Matthew, who recently won the Women's British Open, secured a half-point for Europe when she knocked in a seven-foot birdie putt on the 18th green. Matthew and partner Maria Hjorth of Sweden had been two up after 11 holes ag
ainst Morgan Pressel and Michelle Wie.
The Americans had trailed in three of the four encounters before fighting back to snatch the morning honours, watched by a crowd of around 30,000 on a breezy, overcast day in Sugar Grove, Illinois.
Paula Creamer rolled in a curling 45-foot birdie putt on the 16th green to put the US ahead for the first time in the top encounter before she and Cristie Kerr beat Suzann Pettersen and Sophie Gustafson one up.
World No 4 Creamer and third-ranked Kerr had been sent out first by US captain Beth Daniel to set the tone for the home team but they dropped behind early in a tight battle.
Norwegian Pettersen and Swede Gustafson edged one ahead on three occasions but each time their opponents fought back to level before Creamer's dagger blow at the par-3 16th.
"That was really nice and good timing for us," a beaming Creamer told reporters of her pivotal putt which broke 25 feet from the left.
"It was a huge putt. I saw Kerr's read. I kind of went for it, and it went in. We finished strong, and a win is a win."
Moments after Creamer's monster putt dropped into the cup, compatriot Pressel knocked in a three-footer at the 14th to give the US their first lead in the bottom match.
Pressel and big-hitting Solheim rookie Wie had trailed by two after 11 holes before edging one up against Matthew and Hjorth, which is how they stood going down the par-5 last. However, the Europeans squared the match when the in-form Matthew holed her birdie putt.
The Americans drew first blood on the longest layout to stage a Solheim Cup when Brittany Lang and Brittany Lincicome crushed Laura Davies and Becky Brewerton 5&4.
The US duo took early control when Lincicome birdied the third and sixth, where she holed a 60-footer, to put them two up before they clinched victory on the 14th green.
Europe's first point came from Swede Helen Alfredsson and Spanish rookie Tania Elosegui, who came from one down after seven holes to beat Angela Stanford and Juli Inkster one up.
Stanford made a tap-in birdie at the last after nearly holing out from a greenside bunker but Alfredsson coolly sank a 15-footer from the fringe for a matching birdie to seal the win.
"I feel great that we walked away with a win," said Alfredsson, 44, a veteran of seven previous Solheim Cups as a player. "It was very crucial that we got some blue on the board."
Europe, who have lost the last two Solheim Cup matches, are bidding to win for the first time on American soil. The US lead the series 7-3.
Asked about her decision to pair Wie with Pressel, Daniel brushed aside talk of a rift. "They're sharing a lodge this week and they've been very good friends for a while. They told me they would like to play together and I think Morgan will be good for Michelle."
European skipper Alison Nicholas revealed that her pairings had been relatively simple to resolve. "A lot of the girls wanted to play together and they told me that so that's pretty much how we did it," she added.
"The team spirit is fantastic and the girls are really up for it.
There's going to be some fantastic matches, it's so exciting and there is going to be fireworks."
