Scotland’s Catriona Matthew and Janice Moodie ended their unbeaten run as a partnership, but Europe stayed in touch with the  US at just a point behind at 4.5-3.5 after the first day of the Solheim Cup at Rich Harvest Farms near Chicago. 

In the morning fourballs, Matthew, the new Ricoh Women’s British Open Champion,  was a European heroine  as she holed a ten foot birdie putt at the long 18th to snatch a half with Swede Maria Hjorth against the two young Americans, Michelle Wie and Morgan Pressel.

But, along with Windyhill’s Moodie, she lost by 3 and 1 against Juli Inkster and Paula Creamer in the afternoon foursomes. Creamer sealed the point by holing a monster putt for a par at the 17th.

The home side won the fourballs 2.5-1.5 and the foursomes were shared to leave Europe still with high hopes of winning for the first time on US soil.

Three down with six to play, the tartan duo did win the next two holes, but Inkster almost holed a chip shot for an eagle at the 15th to restore a cushion and they held on for victory. 

“It was disappointing to lose, but the team is still in a great position,” sad Matthew, playing in her fifth Solheim. “It promises to be a really exciting weekend.”
 
In the other foursomes, Becky Brewerton and Gwladys Nocera, last year’s European No.1, claimed a 3 and 1 win over Angela Stanford and Nicole Casrale, while rookie Anna Nordqvist holed a chip shot and was in super form in partnering Hjorth to a 3 and 2 triumph over Kristy McPherson and Brittany Lincicome.

In the top foursomes, Natalie Gulbis and the exuberant Christina Kim outplayed Sophie Gustafson and Suzann Pettersen in winning by 4 and 2.

Matthew and Hjorth, both graduates of Stirling University, made the early move in the fourballs with the Scot making birdie twos at both the short and third and fifth.  But the Americans hit back to win the eighth, 12th and 13th and strode down the final fairway dormie one ahead.

But after a moment of controversy on the last hole – Wie managed to persuade US rules official Janet Lindsay to give her a free drop from a scruffy area in the middle of the fairway – Matthew responded in the best possible fashion by holing her birdie effort to salvage a vital half point.

“I think we definitely deserved the half point, and it could prove to be very important,” suggested Matthew. “We were looking at the board and heard a lot of cheers and we knew we needed to get something out of our match.

“We were up at the start and then let them back in with the wins at the 12th and 13th. But it was a great match.”