“Doing our part” specifically meant that the blue and yellow Swedish duo won their foursomes match against Rose Zhang and Jennifer Kupcho 3/2.
In a match where Stark and Grant connected immediately with birdies on the first three holes. Grant hit a couple of brilliant drives, Stark made the putts.
Already there, the Swedes were two holes up.
It's always nice to start with three birdies in a row and feel like they're under a lot of pressure - and we can walk around and relax a bit, Stark says.
Lowered bunker shots
The lead grew to four as Stark and Grant continued to hold steady, while the Americans wavered.
And when the Swedes themselves suffered a major blow for the first time - on hole 9 - they still recovered. Grant sank a phenomenal bunker shot for par, which was enough for a highly unexpected half of the hole.
"A really great shot, that was as good as I could hit it. It's great that it went in. We both had a bit of a circus until we ended up there. Then a bit of luck and a good shot and we left with a par and a halved hole," Grant says.
What do you think the Americans were thinking when it went in?
"Damn it," Grant says with a laugh.
Zhang and Kupcho did bounce back after that slap in the face and won holes 10 and 11, at the same time that it started to drizzle over Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands.
But when Zhang found the water, Stark and Grant were able to win hole 15 - and then the blue and yellow duo were three holes up with only three left to play.
The match was then decided on hole 16 and Europe took their first point in this year's Solheim Cup, after the Swedes did not make a single bogey in the entire round.
Grant: “Keep it simple”
It was noticeable that the Swedes enjoyed playing together, after being split up completely by then-captain Suzann Pettersen two years ago.
We really go out and keep it simple, and just support each other and have a lot of fun and don't put any pressure on ourselves," Grant says.
And it's pretty hard to beat someone in foursomes who doesn't make a bogey, Stark notes.
Swedish captain Anna Nordqvist nevertheless rests both Stark and Grant during the afternoon's fourballs. Esther Henseleit and Leona Maguire - who secured the second European point for 2-2 on aggregate - are also benched by Nordqvist.
It's a lot of fun to just go along and watch too. So I'm really looking forward to it," says Grant.
Then everything indicates that she and Maja Stark will play together again when it's time for new foursomes matches on Saturday morning.
Charley Hull/Lottie Woad–Allisen Corpuz/Nelly Korda – USA won 4/3.
Nanna Koerstz Madsen/Céline Boutier–Alison Lee/Lauren Coughlin – USA won 3/2.
Esther Henseleit/Leona Maguire–Andrea Lee/Lindy Duncan – Europe won 2/0.
Maja Stark/Linn Grant–Rose Zhang/Jennifer Kupcho – Europe won 3/2.
The fourballs of the afternoon:
13.05: Hull/Woad–Yealimi Noh/Angel Yin.
13.20: Boutier/Koerstz Madsen–Megan Khang/Alison Lee.
13.35: Mimi Rhodes/Nastasia Nadaud–Corpuz/Auston Kim.
13.50: Carlota Ciganda/Julia López Ramírez–Korda/Coughlin.
