UNITED States led Great Britain and Ireland 4-2 at the end of the first day of the 35th Curtis Cup on the Old Course at St Andrews.

The Americans, who have not lost the biennial women's amateur match since 1996, won both the morning foursomes and the afternoon four-balls 2-1.

With a little bit of luck, skipper Mary McKenna's team would have shared the post-lunch honours and GB led in two ties at one stage of the afternoon play, but it was not to be.

Prince Andrew was among the crowd of 3,000, reduced no doubt by the miserable weather in the morning.

Sally Watson, 16, from Edinburgh, was the day one heroine for the hosts, playing and winning twice.

Only two other players on either side could match that, and they were the top two players from the US college golf circuit - Amanda Blumenherst and Stacy Lewis.

It wasn't the best start on her Curtis Cup debut for Catterick's Jodi Ewart who, with Liz Bennett, lost to Lewis & Alison Walshe 3 and 1 in the morning.

Watson teamed up with new Scottish champion Michele Thomson from Ellon to win by one hole over Mina Harigate and Jennie Lee.

Then in the afternoon fourball format, Watson and US college student Krystle Caithness, brought in to make her Curtis Cup debut, teamed up well to beat Tiffany Joh and Meghan Bolger three and two.