McIlroy does his best to lump pressure on the Americans, finding the green with the approach.

Cantlay still has the chance to win the hole with this 25-foot birdie putt... good effort, decent effort in fact, but just creeps past the hole.

Cantlay stares down the ball, seems he was expecting some slight turn.

Nah, we're not getting ahead of ourselves but... the last time a clean sweep happened during a Ryder Cup session?

Day one foursomes at Le Golf National in 2018, which was played in the afternoon after the fourballs

That was Europe in full flow.

And it turned out pretty nicely on Sunday afternoon.

The clean sweep for Europe is not looking as much of a cert as it did half an hour ago.

But the hosts are within touching distance of winning the day one morning session for the first time since 2006.

Collin Morikawa takes dead aim at the pin on the par-three 17th, but it's just a yard short and finds the bunker.

Sepp Straka takes no chances and spears one into the heart of the green - just a half on this hole needed to clinch the point.

Just a mess from start to finish for Europe on 16, with Sepp Straka finding the rough with that tough recovery before Shane Lowry chips it out to six feet and the putt is missed.

USA don't even need to make a putt to win that hole and it's now just two up with two to play...

Schauffele next from the fairway.. oh dear, he's interrupted by a phone beeping. Poor form.

The American walks back, resets and promptly knocks a mid iron onto the green.

You'd fancy Cantlay to stick that one away.

Advantage America.

Not a pretty one for Fleetwood. The rough is thick and there is plenty of trouble in front of him.

Looks like he's pulled out a sand wedge, aiming to chop it out to safety and hope McIlroy can weave some magic.

That's what he does.

Plenty of mileage left in this one...

Cantlay finds the fairway from the 15th tee. McIlroy doesn't.

The Northern Irishman pushes his drive out right into the rough and Fleetwood needs to think carefully about this one.

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, Rome

Image source, BBC Sport

There are huge crowds everywhere you look and even a sighting of bananaman at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club including down the 16th, a drivable par four that did not see any action in today’s first two matches.

Fleetwood from the fringe then... this is for a birdie on the 465-yard par four.

Swings it round left to right, a decent effort but just a little too much legs.

Schauffele converts the Americans' birdie putt and the gap is reduced to one hole again...

Shane Lowry has carved a three wood so far right on the 16th that he's missed everything - the rough, the water, the lot - he's miles wide and Sepp Straka will have an interesting recovery shot from over there.

Andrew Magee
PGA Tour winner on BBC Radio 5 Live

We have alluded to the rustiness of the Americans a fair bit already.

It does feel embarrassing. It feels like France, it feels like Gleneagles.

As an American I’m hanging my head a bit. They have got to take a break to try and get some energy to at least try and chip away at this lead.

After Fleetwood sticks his drive into the fairway bunker, McIlroy has to negotiate a difficult lie.

But he makes a good fist of it, ending up on the fringe of the green.

The body language isn't great for the Americans, but they're still fighting as Collin Morikawa plays an excellent bunker shot to help save the 15th hole and continue the match.

But Europe go dormie three at three up with three to play so are assured a half at least - although it'd be incredible if they don't get the full point from here.

Andrew: Captain Donald has played a blinder in electing to kick-off proceedings with a Foursomes session. "It's really just a deep dive into statistics of the team. We feel like we have some strong foursomes pairings." You’re telling us, Luke. But beware the American backlash.

This is the closest match of the morning foursomes and it's still difficult to confidently predict it will finish as a European win.

That's the likeliest outcome, of course, but you wouldn't rule out anything from Schauffele and Cantlay in matchplay circumstances.

Steve Sutcliffe
BBC Sport at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, Rome

Image source, BBC Sport

Brian Harman’s approach came whizzing in towards the 15th as Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton were finishing up their media duties after beating Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns 4&3.

They might as well have hung on for Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg, who started to stroll off back down the 15th after beating Max Homa and Harman.

A Ryder Cup official managed to sprint across to the European pair and bring them back mind.

Matt Wallace
Four-time European Tour winner on BBC Radio 5 Live

It is very annoying when they don't concede a putt and you think they should.

But then again this is the Ryder Cup and I wouldn’t be giving anything.

In foursomes as well, you can go a long time without hitting a putt so it can be difficult to get your touch. For the Americans as well, they are hitting on greens that are slower than what they are used to.

You have got to do anything you possibly can to get that point.

Close but no cigar for Fleetwood on the par three 13th.

Dropping that birdie putt would have put the European pair three ahead, but they have to be content with a par.

A half will do.

I'm afraid that hole just sums up the performance this American pair, and the team as a whole this morning, as Rickie Fowler again comes up well short with just a short pitch into the 14th green, before Collin Morikawa also hits a poor putt from seven feet to save the hole.

This USA [air go three down with four to play and heading for another heavy defeat.