USA players celebrate their victory against Europe during the Solheim Cup (AFP)
The United States retained the Solheim Cup here Sunday after dominating Europe in the afternoon singles.
The Americans were two points down after losing the fourballs 3-1 and Scot Catriona Matthew's win over Laura Diaz in the opening singles.
Then came a fierce fightback with the US golfers prevailing eight and a half to three and a half to win the match 16-12.
The US lead the series 7-3 after Europe succumbed to only their second defeat on home turf.
Aside from Matthews, Solheim Cup veteran Laura Davies and Swede Linda Wessberg were Europe's only other winners in the singles, this pair respectively accounting for Brittany Lincicome and US Women's Open champion Cristie Kerr.
For the visitors their most remarkable performance came from teenager Morgan Pressel, who beat Annika Sorenstam two and one.
Matthew was Europe's top scorer with three wins out of four while for the US it was Paula Creamer who took the honours with three and a half points.
It was Nicole Castrale's three and two defeat of Bettina Hauert that retained the Cup for the Americans, with Creamer making the win secure when overcoming Maria Hjorth two and one.
The final day had started encouragingly for Europe who were lying only one point behind and up in three and level in one of Saturday's uncompleted fourballs.
Sorenstam's team took that session 3-1, only to let the title slip away in the afternoon.
© 2007 AFP/sid
