USA pegged back

For the first time since 1998 the United States lead Europe after the first day of the Solheim Cup – but not by anything like the margin they had hoped for at Halmstad in Sweden.

After taking the opening foursomes 2 1/2-1 1/2 the holders led in all four afternoon fourballs, but in the cold, wind, rain and fading light they ended up only sharing them for a 4 1/2-3 1/2 advantage.

Annika Sorenstam had been in danger of suffering two defeats in a day for the first time in her cup career but she and fellow Swede Maria Hjorth won the 395-yard final hole to grab a half with Angela Stanford and debutant Stacy Prammanasudh, neither of whom could manage a par.

Laura Davies, winning her 10th cap and an ever-present since the event started, and Trish Johnson looked like going two down with two to play to Paula Creamer and 19-year-old Morgan Pressel, but Davies conjured up a miraculous winning par on the short 16th.

All four players hit terrible tee shots and Davies’s was comfortably the worst of the lot.

However, from some of the worst rough on the entire course, the 43-year-old hacked the ball over the stream and across the green – and then chipped in. It brought the English pair level and the last two holes were then halved.

The best recovery of all, though, came from Scot Catriona Matthew and Dane Iben Tinning.

They stood two down after six, but turned that into a four and two victory over Pat Hurst and Brittany Lincicome, another of the American’s four new caps.

The only United States pair to win were reigning US Women’s Open champion Cristie Kerr and Nicole Castrale. They beat Sophie Gustafson and Gwladys Nocera.

That Europe, winners in Sweden four years ago, finished only one point behind was a fine effort considering Sorenstam and Davies, the top two scorers in the competition’s history, managed only half a point each from their two games.

In addition – and to the surprise of many – Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, their only current major champion, was omitted from the afternoon session.

Captain Helen Alfredsson had to hand in her pairings before seeing Pettersen and Gustafson complete a comeback from two down to all square with Hurst and Kerr. Indeed, they almost won.

“None of us give up. We play for each other and play our hearts out,” said Pettersen.

“You have to go out there and fight again this afternoon.” Except she was not given the chance.

Even with that decision Alfredsson chose not to give her wild card pick Linda Wessberg or German Bettina Hauert a game all day, whereas opposite number Betsy King got all her 12 into the action.

The Americans fully deserved their lunchtime lead, never being behind in three of the four games.

Wild card pick Laura Diaz and three-time British Women’s Open champion Sherri Steinhauer, neither of whom were chosen for the fourballs, scored the first point – and a significant one with it being Sorenstam on the losing side.

Having battled back from two down to all square with eight to play the home pair could not reply to birdies on the 11th, 13th and 15th and lost when Matthew hit her tee shot into the water at the short 16th.

Minutes later Davies did the same. She and Becky Brewerton, the first Welsh player in the event, had also wiped out a two-hole deficit, but that was one down again and they also double-bogeyed the 353-yard 17th to lose to Creamer and 47-year-old Juli Inkster, the oldest player in the match and winning her seventh cap.

Europe’s only winners were Hjorth and Nocera, who in stark contrast to their team-mates were never behind in defeating Pressel and Natalie Gulbis three and two, but Gustafson and Pettersen were close to making it 2-2.

Having recovered from two down to be level on the last tee Pettersen’s fine fairway wood shot led to Kerr needing an eight-footer to give her and Hurst a half, but she sank it and commented: “I’m making everything I look at”.

Davies, whose afternoon game took over five and a half hours, said of the 16th: ``I'd have given 500-1 on us winning the hole.

“It was hit and hope. I had to find a route to swing the club because of a couple of brambles and it was just a hack – a 36-handicapper shot.

“I probably made a fool of myself celebrating when the chip went in, but these things happen in golf and it was a great moment – the best par save I’ve ever had given the circumstances.

“To be only one down feels like a real result. I think we have done well and it’s all about momentum.”

Asked about Pettersen’s absence from the fourballs she added: “Captain’s decision, but if I am honest I was surprised. Alfie’s making decisions on the information she’s got, but I thought Suzann was going to play five games.

“Now she won’t, but she’s obviously got a big part to play tomorrow.”