The USA team led 7.5-4.5 lead after the opening day fourball and foursomes at the PING Junior Solheim Cup at Aurora Country Club in Illinois.

The defending champions won the fourballs 4-2 and scraped the foursomes 3.5-2.5. Sally Watson, the only Scot in the European team, contributed half a point in the foursomes when she and Leona Maguire shared the spoils with Alexandra Stewart and Jessica Korda in the top match.

Tonje Daffinrud and Johanna Tillstrom defeated Americans Ani Gulugian and Alison Lee by two holes in the fourth match of the afternoon, while the combination of Lisa Maguire (the other Irish twin) and England’s Kelly Tidy claimed another full point by 3 and 2 over Kristina Wong and Stephanie Kim.

In the fourballs, Sally and Leona lost narrowly by 2 and 1 to Stewart and Sarah Brown.

The series ends with 12 singles.