Catriona Matthew and Mhairi McKay helped the women get the better of the men in more ways than one during the opening series of foursomes in the Praia D'El Rey European Cup in Portugal yesterday.
In the second contest between the European LPGA and the Seniors Tours, the women triumphed in the debate over where to place the tees, and then went out on the course to edge a 3-2 advantage and raise hopes of gaining revenge for defeat in last year's inaugural contest.
Matthew and McKay, former Curtis Cup team-mates but playing as a partnership for the first time, were impressive 2 and 1 winners over England's Jim Rhodes and Irishman David Jones as the women recovered from dropping the top two matches by taking the final three.
The Scots opened with a two-putt birdie four and were never behind in covering the 17 holes with five birdies in two under par.
In fact, their most testing moment probably came on the sixteenth tee when, dormie three up, the sprinkler system leapt into action, showering them in water.
''We played really well and it is good that the team has made a winning start,'' said Matthew, who suffered defeat to America on her Solheim Cup debut at Muirfield Village in September.
McKay, the rookie who finished seventh in this year's US Open, was equally buoyant. ''I love match play,'' said the Turnberry 23-year-old. ''It's deadly serious out there, but it's also great fun.''
The women's captain, Marie Laure de Lorenzi, had not been smiling on the eve of the contest as battle raged over the siting of the tees. But, in the end, she stood firm and was more than happy with a 620 yards advantage over the men's 6500-yard course.
''I had to be tough, but it was much better than last year,'' she said.
Despite losing his unbeaten record in going down with Neil Coles to Swedish pair Catrin Nilsmark and Sophie Gustafson on the final green, men's skipper Tommy Horton also conceded that the organisers had got it right - or almost.
''There were a couple of holes where they had too much of an advantage but, mostly, it was OK,'' he said. Results:
Foursomes (LPGA first) - Trish Johnson and Karen Lunn lost to Eddie Polland and Christy O'Connor, 3 and 2; Alison Nicholas and Marie-Laure de Lorenzi lost to Bobby Verwey and Denis O'Sullivan, 3 and 2; Maria Hjorth and Lora Faiclough beat Brian Waites and Brian Huggett, one hole.
Catriona Matthew and Mhairi McKay beat David Jones and Jim Rhodes, 2 and 1; Sophie Gustafson and Catrin Nilsmark beat Neil Coles and Tommy Horton, one hole.
Second day four-balls - Gustafson and Nilsmark v Polland and Jones; Lunn and Johnson v O'Sullivan and Verwey; Fairclough and Hjorth v Coles and Rhodes; Nicholas and de Lorenzi v Waites and Huggett; McKay and Matthew v O'Connor and Horton.
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