America regained the Solheim Cup with a powerful display in the Sunday singles at Crooked Stick, Indiana. The home side surged to a 15�-12� win to deny Europe a first victory on US soil and secure the trophy they lost in Sweden two years ago.
The day began level at 8-8 but US rookie Paula Creamer, 19, set the tone with a 7&5 win over Laura Davies.
America won the first five matches convincingly before Meg Mallon secured the point that clinched the Cup.
Europe's singles points came from Sweden's Annika Sorenstam and Carin Koch, Scot Catriona Matthew, French rookie Gwladys Nocera and a half from Norway's Suzann Pettersen.
 | It was one of my goals to get here, and when I got here, I wanted to win |
The American win was sparked by victories from Creamer, Laura Diaz, Juli Inkster, Christina Kim and Pat Hurst.
World number one Sorenstam grabbed a point back for Europe before Natalie Gulbis took America to 14 points, and within another half point of regaining the Cup.
Matthew and Koch then added their points but Mallon's half at the 16th with England's Karen Stupples ensured she could not be beaten at two up.
America lead Europe 6-3 overall in the nine Solheim Cups played since the competition's inception in 1990.
 Sorenstam won her singles match for Europe against Beth Daniel |
Creamer, the youngest player in Solheim Cup history, was irrepressible against 41-year-old Davies, the only player to have competed in all nine Solheim Cups.
The American fired six birdies on the way out to reach the turn in 30 and move six up on Davies, who carded nine straight pars.
Davies went seven down at the 10th but a first birdie on 11 stayed her execution until Creamer won on 13.
Diaz won the battle of the pregnant players, strolling to an easy 6&5 victory over Dane Iben Tinning, who is expecting twins.
America soon marched to 11-8 overall as veteran Inkster posted a 2&1 win over Sweden's Sophie Gustafson in the first match out on Sunday.
Gustafson reached one up on a couple of occasions but Inkster, 45, ground her down.
The ebullient Kim was the next US victor with a comfortable 5&4 triumph over fellow Cup rookie Ludivine Kreutz of France.
And Hurst made it 13-8 to America with a 2&1 win against England's Trish Johnson, who led by two at one stage and was not headed until the 15th.
Sorenstam briefly stemmed the rising tide when she sunk America's oldest ever Ryder Cup player Beth Daniel 4&3.
Daniel, 48, went one up at the fourth but Sorenstam took control from the sixth.
Gulbis, America's third rookie, took them to within half a point of victory with a 3&1 win over Sweden's Maria Hjorth.
Matthew kept European hopes alive with a solid 3&2 success over Wendy Ward.
And Stupples, the former British Women's Open champion, staved off the inevitable with a brave half on the 14th and then birdied the 15th to haul Mallon back to just two up.
Meanwhile, Koch beat Michele Redman 2&1 and Nocera beat America's in-form Cristie Kerr 2&1 but Mallon halved her match at the 16th to hand the Cup to America, eventually winning 3&1.
With the result decided, Pettersen shared her match with Rosie Jones.
Singles results: (US 7�-4� Europe)
Juli Inkster bt Sophie Gustafson 2&1
Paula
Creamer bt Laura Davies 7&5
Pat Hurst bt Trish Johnson 2&1
Laura Diaz bt Iben Tinning 6&5
Christina Kim bt Ludivine Kreutz 5&4
Beth Daniel lost to Annika Sorenstam 4&3
Natalie Gulbis bt Maria Hjorth 2&1
Wendy Ward lost to Catriona Matthew 3&2
Michele Redman lost to Carin Koch 2&1
Cristie Kerr lost to Gwladys Nocera 2&1
Meg Mallon bt Karen Stupples 3&1
Rosie Jones halved with Suzann Pettersen