Solheim Cup 2013

Europe keep their noses in front at Solheim Cup after Pettersen's controversial win

Europe 's 5-3 lead over the USA after the opening day of the Solheim Cup was eclipsed by an administering column here in Colorado. 

In the top fourball match, Europe's Carlota Ciganda was given a wrong discounting of a horizontal water danger. 

Rather than taking alleviation inside two club lengths of the risk, she was permitted to backpedal 40 yards. She hit to the side of the green and holed the 15-foot putt for a surprising half as she and Suzann Pettersen went onto beat Stacy Lewis and Lexi Thompson on the last green. 

'I'm not euphoric about it,' said US chief Meg Mallon. 'The thing I'm generally unhappy about is it took 25 minutes and the force, which was in our favour, had halted.' 

Lewis addressed guidelines official Fraser Munro at the close of the match, yet by then it was past the point of no return. Pettersen and Caroline Hedwall both won two matches on the very beginning to help Liselotte Neumann's journey to turn into the first European commander to win on US soil. 

In any case Pettersen was upbeat to disregard the discussion and concentrate on a fulfilling result for her and Solheim Cup debutant Ciganda. 

'This has been an extremely taxing day,' she told Sky Sports 1. 'It was a truly irregular match. Not a single person truly got it going. It was only a matter of holding tight. 

'I'm so pleased with her -her first match ever in the Solheim Cup. I recollect that it, its not simple, and I'm so glad for her. 

'I adore it. There's no better force, no more fulfillment, I just wish I could battle for myself as this when I'm out contending, however the Solheim methods everything.' 

Ciganda included: 'I'm so euphoric to win the focus for Europe. I was a tiny bit anxious. I recently tried to keep it going. I played better on the back nine and the essential thing is we won the focus.' 

Europe's other purpose of the evening came in less questionable manner as Hedwall and Masson headed Angela Stanford and Gerina Piller from the first gap to claim a 2&1 triumph. It was Hedwall's second purpose of the day. 

The Americans were anyhow equipped to finalize the day in positive manner as, after Brittany Lincicome and Brittany Lang moved past Anna Nordqvist and Giulia Sergas 4&3, Cristie Kerr and Michelle Wie collaborated to procure the hosts' third purpose of the day. 

There was a measure of vindication too for Wie -on the group through a skipper's pick seen in a few quarters as questionable -who holed an eye-getting chip at the thirteenth to put her and Kerr two up against Catriona Matthew and Charley Hull. 

'It feels incredible,' Wie said. 'We required that focus -I wanna see more red on that board.' 

Europe had got their title defence off to a flying begin by going 3-1 up in the morning foursomes. 

Anna Nordqvist and Hedwall got the holders off to the ideal begin as they beat Lewis and Lizette Salas 4&2 and that was rapidly emulated by a second focus with Pettersen and Beatriz Recari asserting a 2&1 triumph over Lang and Stanford. 

Morgan Pressel and Jessica Korda then got the United States on the board as they beat Matthew and Jodi Ewart Shadoff 3&2 however Azahara Munoz and Karine Icher won their match with Paula Creamer and Kerr 2&1 to give Europe a two-focus pad.