Europe in early Solheim lead

The USA drew first blood by winning the 1st foursomes match when the 12th Solheim Cup got underway today.
The hot favourites USA drew first blood by winning the first foursomes match when the 12th Solheim Cup got underway under leaden skies at Killen Castle, in Ireland on this overcast Friday morning.
Watched by a large and vociferous crowd, the lead-off American pair of Cristie Kerr and Michelle Wie won the first two holes against Europe’s Swedish pair, Maria Hjorth and Anna Nordqvist, and although the Swedes took back a hole at the third, the Americans went on to win the match 2&1 and put the visiting team into a1-0 lead.
All was not lost for the ‘home’ team, however, for behind Hjorth and Nordqvist, Europe were three up as the next three matches moved into the final stretch at Killeen Castle.
Former British women’s Open champion Karen Stupples and her English partner Melissa Reid were 1-up after 16 holes against the highly rated US young guns Paula Creamer and Brittany Lincicome.
Pugnacious Scot Catriona Matthew and her Spanish rookie partner Azahara Munoz partner were also 3-up against America’s Stacy Lewis and Angela Stanford after 15 holes and Norway’s World No 2 Suzann Pettersen and veteran Swedish star Sophie Gustafson were 1-up against Bittany Lang and Juli Inster of the US after 14 holes to keep Europe in front.
Latest Results (Europe first)
Hjorth/Nordqvist lost to Wie/Kerr 2&1
Stupples/Reid 1 up on Creamer/Lincicome after 16
Matthew/Munoz 3 up on Lewis/Stanford after 15
Pettersen/Gustafson 1 up on Lang/Inkster after 14
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