From two points down after losing the fourballs 3-1 and Scot Catriona Matthew’s win over Diaz in the top game, the United States came storming back to take the session eight and a half to three and a half and the match 16-12.

They now lead the series 7-3, but this was only the second time Europe have been beaten at home and, just like St Pierre in Wales 11 years ago, all the good work done in the foursomes and fourballs was then undone.

On that occasion the Americans trailed by two and ended up winning 17-11.

Laura Davies, an ever-present since the event started in 1990, and Swede Linda Wessberg were Europe’s only other winners, although Wessberg’s over US Women’s Open champion Cristie Kerr came after the issue had been decided.

Davies crushed Brittany Lincicome four and three, while the most notable American point came from 19-year-old Morgan Pressel, who grabbed her first win by beating Annika Sorenstam two and one.

That stopped Sorenstam being the top European points-scorer for the fourth match in a row. She finished with two and a half out of five, leaving Matthew at the head of the points table for Helen Alfredsson’s side with three out of four.

“I definitely played my best golf today – I think the rest yesterday helped me,” said 38-year-old Matthew, who became a mother last December and yet less than four months later was runner-up in a major.

America’s top scorer was 21-year-old Paula Creamer, with two wins and three halves for a personal tally of three and a half points, while 47-year-old Juli Inkster contributed three and beat Iben Tinning four and four for her sixth singles victory in seven appearances.

The distinction of retaining the trophy fell to Nicole Castrale when she defeated Bettina Hauert three and two and then Creamer made the match safe by overcoming Maria Hjorth two and one. That was entirely fitting as Castrale had turned in a best-of-the-week 32 and Creamer in 33.

Welsh debutant Becky Brewerton did halve with Steinhauer in the fifth game, but she lost the final hole for that and the writing was on the wall by then in any case.

Yet it had all looked so promising in mid-morning.

Because of the time lost to the strong winds on Saturday morning the fourballs resumed at 7.35am with Europe behind by a point in the match, but up in three and level in the other game out on the course.

They ended up taking the session 3-1 and as on the first two days the Americans let things slip after turning things in their favour.

Great putting by Creamer took her and Lincicome one ahead with two to play on Wessberg and Hjorth, but they missed from six and five feet respectively to lose the 17th and had to settle for a half.

Sorenstam and Pettersen, unbeaten as a partnership, went away impressively from Kerr and Pressel to win three and two and Tinning’s chip-in birdie at the 17th earned her and Johnson a half with Inkster and Prammanasudh after they had fallen behind.

Davies and Brewerton resumed one up with eight to go and were still in that position when Davies fired in a brilliant approach to four feet on the last. She did not even have to putt to clinch the point that took Europe ahead for the first time.

Meanwhile, Alfredsson had already made her feelings known about the “choking freaking dogs” comment by Pepper after Diaz and Steinhauer had lost two of the last three holes in the Saturday foursomes.

Alfredsson said: “I think that is totally inappropriate no matter what.

“We are all together in this. At the end of the day it’s all for women’s golf and she if anybody should know how tough things are.

“It’s extremely windy and there’s no putt that feels easy. To make a comment like that I find that quite improper. It doesn’t matter if it’s for us or them - I just don’t see the point, why you even have those thoughts in your head.

“You go out there and try your best. It’s always easy to sit and say that when you’re not right in it.”

American captain Betsy King said she wanted to wait until after the match to let her views be known.