Solheim Cup 2021: Europe hold off United States fight back to take 9-7 lead into Monday's singles matches

Leona Maguire and Mel Reid halved their fourball match in a dramatic finish on the 18th green

Europe held off a United States fight back to take a 9-7 lead into Monday's Solheim Cup singles matches in Ohio.

But the Europeans, who at one stage trailed in all four matches, rallied.

Carlota Ciganda and Nanna Koerstz Madsen, and Charley Hull and Emily Pedersen won, while Mel Reid and Leona Maguire halved their match on the 18th.

It made for compelling viewing with the hosts seemingly well placed before the momentum shifted back towards Catriona Matthew's defending champions, who need 14 points to retain the trophy.

"That finish and that last 20 minutes was crucial for us," Matthew told Sky Sports.

"From the start to the day it looked like the momentum was heading towards the US, but edged back a little bit in the afternoon and that half point has buoyed us up.

"(We're) very confident. We would have taken that [a two-point lead] when we teed off in the first round."

Maguire impresses with nerveless temperament

Europe had taken a slender 6½-5½ advantage into Sunday afternoon's fourballs after seeing their three-shot overnight lead cut back in the morning foursomes.

The US dominated the early holes in the fourballs but Europe turned the tide and, among several superb contributions, Maguire in particular caught the eye.

The Irish rookie displayed a nerveless temperament in a burgeoning partnership with the experienced Reid, whose wonderful approach and short-range putt delivered a dramatic conclusion to their match with Lizette Salas and Jennifer Kupcho

It also ensured that Maguire, who will be the only player from either side to feature in the maximum number of five matches across the three days, remains unbeaten and has collected 3½ points.

The Reid/Maguire partnership had been Europe's sole bright spot in the morning foursomes crushing Nelly Korda and Ally Ewing 5&4 as the US won the other three matches.

Europe respond under pressure

While the first fourball match to finish appeared a routine US win, it was brimming with drama and indicative of what was to follow.

Boutier and Popov bounced back from being three down after nine against US rookies Noh and Harigae with birdies on the 10th, 12th and 13th.

But Harigae's birdie on the 14th and Noh's birdie on the 16th, coming after two missed European putts, gave the hosts even more belief.

However, after being draped in US red, the leaderboard slowly began to show tinges of European blue.

Emily Pedersen made an impressive contribution of four birdies, and alongside Hull, turned a one-hole deficit into a three-hole lead between the fifth and 12th.

Pedersen set the ball rolling, eagling the eighth while Hull crucially followed Austin Ernst in for a birdie on the 10th. The Dane also holed from 20 feet to birdie the 12th and they wrapped up victory on the 16th green.

Moments later, Ciganda and Koerstz Madsen defeated Jessica Korda and Megan Khang, with the Spaniard making a timely 30-foot putt on the 15th to edge Europe ahead and they took that one-hole lead down the last, halving the hole in par to put another blue point on the board.

US hit back in foursomes

The alternate shot format, usually favoured more by the European players, was dominated by the US on Sunday, winning three of the four points on offer.

Europe struck first when Reid and Maguire brushed off a rare moment of Nelly Korda brilliance - on the 13th when she holed a sensational putt for eagle - to record a resounding victory.

World number one Korda was uncharacteristically out of sorts all morning - thinning a fairway bunker shot into a stream, chunking a wedge shot just 15 yards, under-hitting a chip from greenside rough and missing several putts - so it was no surprise to see that US captain Pat Hurst elected to rest her star player for Sunday afternoon's fourballs.

But that is not to take anything away from the performance of Reid and Maguire, who were simply sensational.

At one stage, Europe led in all four matches but the US turned three matches around.

Danielle Kang and Ernst beat Georgia Hall and Madelene Sagstrom on the 18th after the English player was unable to hole a 20-foot birdie putt.

The European pair had been two up after birdies on the opening two holes, but in a rollercoaster encounter, lost the fourth, sixth and seventh to fall behind before regaining the initiative and losing it again.

Lexi Thompson and Brittany Altomare's win was similarly tight, with the lead changing hands twice before the Americans finally wrapped up the match.

Throughout her career, Thompson has been susceptible to missing short putts and she again faltered from inside six feet on Sunday but she holed a 35-footer for a winning birdie on the penultimate hole.

Lizette Salas and Jennifer Kupcho won four holes on the trot to also triumph on 17 in another tight match with the previously unbeaten Anna Nordqvist and Matilda Castren.