Maguire wins point as Solheim Cup deadlocked at 4-4

A dramatic opening day of the Solheim Cup concluded with Europe's Carlota Ciganda draining her putt on the 18th to ensure the teams are level at 4-4 at Bernadus Golf Course in the Netherlands.

Ireland’s Leona Maguire won her morning foursomes alongside Esther Henseleit as they got the better of American duo Andrea Lee and Lindy Duncan.

The score was 2-2 after the morning action, though Maguire was a surprising ommission from the afternoon’s fourballs as the opening sessions were drawn for the first time in the competition’s history.

The afternoon fourballs saw Europe off to a flying start with their first pairing of Charley Hull and Lottie Woad birdying five of the first six to race to a three-hole lead.

But their US opponents Yealimi Noh and Angel Yin hauled themselves back into the match, helped by some uncharacteristic wayward putting by English star Hull.

Woad, playing in her first Solheim Cup at the age of 22, seized back the initiative with a stunning eagle on the par-five 10th to put Europe two up.

Then at the par-three 15th, Noh produced the highlight of the day, hitting the flag off the tee and narrowly missing out on a hole-in-one.

On the deciding 18th, Woad missed a birdie putt by a whisker giving Noh the chance to snatch the match for the United States.

In the second match, US combination Megan Khang and Alison Lee dominated Frenchwoman Celine Boutier and Nanna Koerstz Madsen with a 5&3 win that took Khang's unbeaten Solheim Cup streak to nine, tied for the second-longest ever.

Europe's rookie pairing of Mimi Rhodes and Nastasia Nadaud showed few first-time nerves as they held off a late fightback from Allisen Corpuz and Auston Kim to win 2&1.

The last fourball saw Nelly Korda and her partner Lauren Coughlin face off against Ciganda and former amateur world number one Julia Lopez Ramirez.

Befitting a day in which the two sides could not be separated, the pair were all square going up the 18th.

Both Europeans managed to find bunkers or rough while the American pair found the green. But Korda and Coughlin missed makeable putts, giving Ciganda the chance for an improbable half, which she made.

Maguire could only watch on after her earlier heroics.

The visitors got off to a strong start in the morning as Allisen Corpuz and Korda made history by becoming the first pair to secure a five-and-zero record in Solheim Cup foursomes when they eased to a 4&5 victory over Hull and Woad.

The travelling team then stretched their lead as Alison Lee and Lauren Coughlin beat Nanna Koertz Madsen and Celine Boutier 3&2, with the European duo looking well off their best.

Maja Stark and Linn Grant pulled one back for Europe as they saw off Rose Zhang and Jennifer Kupcho 3&2, before Maguire and Henseleit levelled things up before the afternoon session.

European captain Anna Nordqvist raised eyebrows when her pairings for the afternoon foursomes were announced, with the news that Maguire and Henseleit had been stood down despite their win.

The United States are aiming to win their first Solheim Cup on European soil since 2015, to extend their series win from their current 11-7 advantage.

Saturday sees eight more points up for grabs in foursomes and fourballs, before the crunch singles on Sunday, which will feature all 12 players on each team.