Dunsany, Ireland – The United States and Europe both took two points to split Friday morning's foursomes matches of the 12th Solheim Cup at Killeen Castle.
As expected, the matches were tight throughout on a cold, crisp Irish morning.
Europe had a clear advantage in most of the matches on Friday morning, but the U.S. fought back to earn a tie for the first session.
The first point went the Americans' way when leadoff hitters Cristie Kerr and Michelle Wie won 2 & 1 over Maria Hjorth and Anna Nordqvist. The European squad squared things at the 15th, but the U.S. won the next two holes for the victory.
Europe posted the next point when Catriona Matthew and Azahara Munoz had a relatively easy time of it against a flat pairing over Angela Stanford and Stacy Lewis. The European side won 3 & 2.
Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome rallied from 2-down with four to play to best the European team of Karen Stupples and Melissa Reid, 1-up. The European side made a mess of the 18th when Stupples drove into the rough, then chunked a pitch from the fairway.
The anchor match was tight, but Suzann Pettersen and Sophie Gustafson pulled out a 1-up victory over the American tandem of Juli Inkster and Brittany Lang. Inkster and Lang won the 17th to go all-square, but Inkster missed an eight- foot birdie putt on the last. Pettersen rolled in a six-foot downhiller to give Europe the full point and tie the matches.
"That was massive," Pettersen said in a televised interview.
There are four four-ball matches on tap for Friday afternoon.
American captain Rosie Jones held to her word and got all 12 members of her team into the action on Friday when Christina Kim and Ryann O'Toole play together, Morgan Pressel joins Creamer in the opening match and Vicky Hurst teams with Lincicome.
European leader Alison Nicholas brings Solheim Cup veteran Laura Davies off the bench with Reid. Sandra Gal will partner with Matthew and Caroline Hedwall will team with Gustafson. Christel Boeljon is the only player who won't participate on day one.
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