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A fair bit of the red on the board early today but these two are setting the standard for Europe.

Captain Suzann Pettersen will be pleased with the commanding start Emily Pedersen and Maja Stark have made.

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport in Virginia

Image source, BBC Sport

No mistaking who Marius Schulze and Frank and Stefanie Sommerfeld are here to support. They are from near Hamburg in Germany and play at Golf Club am Meer.

Marius also happens to know Esther Henseleit very well having played golf with her for 10 years as a junior.

“The momentum was with Europe on the first four holes but four missed fairways have turned things around,” says Marius.

Excellent touch again from Nelly Korda with a tough chip from just off the ninth green to salvage a half from a tough spot.

Charley Hull almost holed her long-range putt from around 30 feet but just failed to give it enough legs.

Not the best quality match in this lead-off clash but a couple of pieces of wedge magic from Korda has put the USA into a decent lead.

Lauren Coughlin putts in for par at the eighth and gives a big toothy smile to the cheering fans.

Albane Valenzuela then misses a chance to half the hole. She leans down on her putt with a grimace. Is the pressure starting to show on the debutante?

There's been next to nothing between these two pairs so could that be a crucial hole for the Americans?

Honours shared at the sixth hole as Carlota Ciganda tidies up from five feet for Europe.

That's the first this group have halved so far today.

Emily Pedersen bounces right back for Europe as she drains a slippery 10-footer down the hill on the seventh green to restore the four-hole lead in this third match.

Visually, Robert Trent Jones Golf Club starts to really shine on the back nine, crawling along the banks of Lake Manassas.

The ninth gives you a stunning preview with the green like a peninsula sticking out into the water. Team USA will get a good look at that after Allisen Corpuz hits her approach off the back.

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport in Virginia

Lexi Thompson was hitting a five or six iron down to the ninth green which was playing at around 178 yards the other day in practice, where as the likes of Alison Lee had a hybrid in her hands for this hole.

There's plenty of jeopardy on this downhill par three mind which is on a peninsula putting green that juts out into Lake Manassas.

The back shelf is pretty narrow and there's water on three sides, albeit this little plaque on an elevated tee just behind where the ladies are playing from is a reminder of just what can be achieved here.

Nelly Korda showing why she's world number one with another brilliant wedge knocked almost stone dead on the eighth.

Even better for America as Charley Hull found the sand with her wedge shot, before Esther Henseleit left the ball in the bunker trying to basically hole her escape.

USA go two ahead in the top match.

Lauren Coughlin affords herself a wry chuckle after missing the chance to put USA one up at the seventh with a birdie putt.

The partisan home fans were pleading with the hole to swallow the ball up, but it whistles just past the cup.

That's matchplay for you! Ally Ewing and Jennifer Kupcho have been trudging around the first five holes here, but a missed putt from Emily Pedersen wins Team USA their first hole of the day in this match and the pair positively skip off the sixth green...

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A handy reply from the Europeans on the par-five fifth as Linn Grant tidies up for a birdie from four feet.

The Americans made bogey so it's a hole pulled back.

Celine Boutier uses all her experience on the seventh hole, playing it safe with an approach shot using a six iron from the rough to make the green.

There's a roar from the predominantly home crowd, though, as Rose Zhang leaves the Americans with a birdie chance.

It wouldn't be a sporting event in America without some giant foam hands.

And the US are just starting to point up a little bit in this first session.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Team USA go ahead in the top match for the first time today thanks to a laser-targeted wedge from Nelly Korda to set-up a birdie on the seventh.

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport in Virginia

“Have you got a shot Esther,” shouts Charley Hull as her playing partner Esther Henseleit wanders up to the right of the sixth fairway to see her ball buried in the rough

The German rookie grabbed her seven iron initially but thought better of it and took something with a little more elevation.

No damage done in the end but another errant drive on the seventh has left Europe in major bother.

Out on the sixth hole, there's nothing to choose between the pairs.

Celine Boutier putts from thick grass off the green to leave Solheim Cup debutante Albane Valenzuela with a tricky putt for par to halve the hole.

The Swiss takes a deep breath and sinks it. Who will be first to blink in this foursome?

Maja Stark is pumped up as she makes her putt to force Jennifer Kupcho to make hers just to halve the hole - but again she's not up to it on the greens.

It's another poor stroke and America slump to four down already.

Important par putt for Linn Grant at the fourth to stop the Americans increasing their lead.

Unfortunately for Europe, it lips out and there's a bit of daylight for USA in this match.