The United States split the afternoon foursomes with Europe but led 4 1/2 - 3 1/2 after the first day of the Solheim Cup on Friday.

Paula Creamer made a 20-footer for par on the 17th to give her and Juli Inkster a 2 and 1 victory over Europe's Catriona Matthew and Janice Moodie in the afternoon's last foursomes match - giving the Americans their one-point lead.

That doesn't augur well for Europe. The Americans are 4-0 when they lead after the first day, and only once in the previous 10 editions of the USA v Europe tournament has a team come back and captured the trophy after trailing after day one.

"It's funny, a half point, a point, at the end of the week they add up," Inkster said.

The foursomes win also made Inkster the highest-scoring US player in the history of the biennial women's match play event, with 17 1/2 points.

Only Europe's Annika Sorenstam with 24 points and Laura Davies with 23 have scored more points than Inkster in Solheim Cup play.

Creamer and Inkster were 3-up by the 12th hole, when Inkster knocked her approach stiff and Europe conceded the birdie.

Matthew and Moodie responded. They won both the 13th and 14th holes to cut the margin to 1-down, but Moodie, as she did most of the match, missed a short birdie putt at 15 to lose the hole and fall 2-down with three to go.

Both teams parred 16, and Inkster drove into the rough at 17. Creamer had no option but to lay up short of the water and Inkster hit a solid third to 20 feet.

Europe made its par and Creamer needed to hole her par putt or the match would go to 18.

"It was good," Inkster said. "We had some sloppy play in the middle - I did. The thing with alternate shot, is you've just got to ham-and-egg it, do the best you can and ride it out."

Natalie Gulbis and Christina Kim had jumped out early against Europe's Sophie Gustafson and Suzann Pettersen in the first foursomes match en route to a 4 and 2 win.

Gulbis and Kim went 3-up at the 14th hole, and they were on the green at 16 with a putt for par as Pettersen's chip hit a tree and the Europeans conceded.

"I still think we played a lot of great golf," said Pettersen. "You're going to get your points or not. You have to get that ball to drop in the hole."

Europe's Becky Brewerton and Gwladys Nocera responded with a 3 and 1 foursomes victory over Americans Angela Stanford and Nicole Castrale.

LPGA Champion Anna Nordqvist and Maria Hjorth then beat Kraft Nabisco Championship winner Brittany Lincicome and Kristy McPherson 3 and 2.

The defending champion Americans need only 14 points to retain the cup, while Europe, who have never won on US soil, need 14 1/2 to win.

The competition will continue Saturday with another four four-ball matches in the morning and four foursomes in the afternoon, with 12 singles matches on Sunday.

Matthew and Hjorth claimed a morale-building half-point in the last of the morning four-ball matches, spoiling Michelle Wie's Solheim Cup debut as Matthew made a birdie at the last to halve with Wie and Morgan Pressel.

Despite not getting an outright win, Wie was thrilled with her first Solheim Cup experience.

"I think this was the most fun I've ever had playing," she said. "It was just unbelievable - the crowd, the cheers, everything about it. It was the most fun I've ever had on the golf course."

AFP

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