ST LEON-ROT, Germany — Holder Europe was level 2-2 with the United States after sharing the honors in the opening foursomes matches at the 14th Solheim Cup Friday. Europe's points came from English pair Melissa Reid and Charley Hull and the German-Scottish combination of Sandra Gal and Catriona Matthew while the Americans countered through Morgan Pressel and Paula Creamer, and Cristie Kerr and Lexi Thompson. The best performance of the morning came from Gal, 30, and the 46-year-old Matthew who beat Stacy Lewis and Lizette Salas 3 and 2 in Match Four thanks to a run of five birdies in the last 11 holes. The American mood in that encounter was summed up when world No. 3 Lewis, the highest-ranked player in this week's event, missed a short putt at the 14th. Hull gave an unforgettable performance as a 17-year-old rookie in Europe's victory in Colorado in 2013 and carried on in the same vein in partnership with Reid. The bubbly Hull is never short of a word or two out on the course and her partner jokingly admitted there were times when she simply had to switch off during Match Two. “I don't even listen half the time,” Reid told reporters after the English duo defeated Michelle Wie and Brittany Lincicome 2 and 1. Hull ended the contest in thrilling style, holing a long putt from the fringe of the green at the 17th. “I needed that putt because I hadn't holed anything all day from the short ones,” said the 19-year-old. “We both played really well and I'm buzzing to get out there again.” In the top match, two dropped strokes on the front nine from Scandinavians Suzann Pettersen and Anna Nordqvist gave the momentum to the Americans as Pressel and Creamer scored a 3 & 2 win. Kerr and Thompson opened with three birdies in the first six holes in Match Three against Karine Icher of France and Spain's Azahara Munoz and the Europeans slipped to a 2 and 1 defeat despite staging a fightback with three birdies in a row at the 13th, 14th and 15th. Day four ahead Jason Day, in pursuit of world No. 1 status and a fourth win in six starts, was poised for a possible 59 after charging four shots clear in the weather-hit opening round of the BMW Championship Thursday. Day, who could leapfrog Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth to reach the top of the rankings with victory this week, produced sizzling form as he moved to 10-under par after 17 holes before play was suspended for the day due to the threat of lightning. That left the Australian world No. 3 a commanding four strokes ahead of American Daniel Berger, who eagled his final hole, the par-four ninth, for a six-under 65 in breezy conditions at Conway Farms Golf Club. Day had just hit his tee shot 346 yards into the right rough at the ninth, his final hole, before the siren sounded to halt the action and he faces a second shot from 44 yards for what would be a sensational eagle. Masters and US Open champion Spieth was part of a four-way tie for third at five-under as he tried to keep pace with playing partner Day in the third of the PGA Tour's four concluding playoff events in the season-long FedExCup race. Spieth was level with fellow Americans Brendon Todd, who returned a 66, Kevin Chappell, who had completed 16 holes, and Justin Thomas, after 13. World No. 1 McIlroy was at three-under after 12 holes in an elite field of 70 players from which just 30 will advance to the Tour Championship finale next week in Atlanta. PGA Tour veteran Jim Furyk withdrew from the tournament with a wrist injury after completing just six holes in the opening round. — Agencies
