Fortunately for Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas is runing hot.

He left his tee shot short but once again some wedge wizardry gets him in close.

Tyrrell Hatton had the best tee shot and he goes last, putting from the fringe. Not enough juice.

There comes the Tyrrell frustration as he looks to the heavens and turns the air blue.

Peter Scrivener
BBC Sport at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club, Rome

Justin Thomas elected to not hit a tee shot on the 16th when I was watching the US team practice on Thursday. His playing partner Jordan Spieth hit two balls.

He tugged the first one left towards the rough. He turned to his caddie Michael Greller and asked for another ball. Second swipe, same result.

I bet he wishes he was left again today.

It's not that windy, Jordan!

Spieth goes last on the 16th tee box but completely misjudges the wind and his ball flies into the water.

There's a smile on his face as he explains to Justin Thomas exactly what went wrong.

We all saw it, Jordan.

Image source, Getty Images

Hello! Collin Morikawa with back-to-back birdies has reduced the deficit to 'only' four now and this little rearguard action will be just a bit of an annoyance to Rory McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick - who after going six up will have wanted to box this match off as soon as possible.

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

Justin Thomas is pumped and also now the pantomime villain after that reaction on the 15th.

The crowd around the 16th tee box are dishing out a few playful boos and the American looks like he is relishing them.

A trail of flames follows Wyndham Clark's ball on yet another green.

The US Open champion nails a birdie putt on the 13th to extend his team's advantage and responds by kissing the face of his putter.

No wonder that's his fourth putt in the past nine holes which has led to a splodge of American red being daubed on the scorecard.

Paul Waring
European Tour pro on BBC Radio 5 Live

Justin Thomas is definitely Mr America.

He is relishing this. His attitude is very different to a lot of other people. The more jeering or grief you give him, he just soaks it up.

Huge from Justin Thomas.

That hole looked firmly in Europe's grasp but Viktor Hovland lags just right with his putt and JT shows off some stunning scrambling skills to set up a seven-foot putt.

After a dramatic pause to contemplate it, he sinks it and celebrates vigorously.

The man for the big occasion?

That's why Zach Johnson picked him. And USA retain their lead going into the final three holes.

This group are throwing tee-shots around the pin like they're aiming darts at a bullseye.

Wyndham Clark's approach is the pick of the bunch, with the rest also having birdie putts.

Rough problems for Jordan Spieth who takes two to escape and then ends up in the bunker. He's out of this hole.

Viktor Hovland piles on the pressure with a phenomenal approach and he'll have 10 feet for birdie.

Ironic cheers from the massed ranks as Justin Thomas' bunker shot lands short of the green and trundles backwards.

Looks like their lead is about to be eradicated.

*Possible eagle sighting*

Max Homa and Bob MacIntyre both have chances on the par-five 12th to land them, but neither can convert from distance.

Wyndham Clark drains a birdie chance from 25 feet, mind, sealing a half with Justin Rose already having holed out.

Image source, Getty Images

He's had a quiet few holes, but Nicolai Hojgaard is back in business, with Jon Rahm only five feet away for birdie, the Dane gets in ahead of him by canning a 17-foot effort for a three.

Brooks Koepka only has four feet left though remember, and he jams it in with authority to pick up his first birdie of the round - and more crucially a half.

Plenty of fine fancy dress out there at Marco Simone today.

Surely a bit hot for all that headwear though.

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Getty Images

Image source, Reuters

Brimming with confidence, Viktor Holvland hammers his drive down the 15th and it lands perfectly on the fairway. Tyrrell Hatton joins him shortly afterwards.

Both Americans were ropey on the last hole - and there's more annoyance here.

Justin Thomas picks out a bunker and then the crowd are running for cover as Jordan Spieth is horribly off line with his tee shot.

Did they get a bit excited when they went two up?

Right, this time Brooks Koepka surely has to make his first birdie of the day, as he's thrown a dart from 187 yards with as little as an eight iron to within three feet or so.

Well, with players of this standard it's hard to imagine the USA going the entire round without winning a hole in the fourballs.

It's taken 11 holes but finally they get on the board as finally Matt Fitzpatrick misses a putt!

Hovland sensibly knocks his ball holewards without going too gung-ho, Hatton in a very decent position remember.

The complexion of this hole will alter if Spieth or Thomas manage to down their par putts, though.

They can't. Hatton has two putts for it... he needs just the one.

Brute force is the only way for Jordan Spieth, taking out a clump of grass which would be enough to feed a herd of cows.

He's hit the green and then, even more remarkably, Justin Thomas follows suit from an even trickier position.

A future for forestry for both of them if this golf lark doesn't pan out.

Hole halved in three after two pretty ordinary putts from Brooks Koepka and Nicolai Hojgaard - the American never gave it enough borrow and was always missing left, while the young Dane put his first dodgy stroke of the day on his.