Spieth lurches from bad to worse, ended up in the jungle next to the 14th green.

Oh my word! JT has followed him in. Oh dear. Take your grass strimmers in there with you there, lads.

Seeing that must have made Tyrrell Hatton puff out his chest and relax those shoulders.

He has a great opportunity here. Can he take it? Yes! A lovely approach hits the ridge and stays on the upper deck of the green close to the flag.

Welcome to the Ryder Cup Brooks Koepka. He's won just one hole in this match so far, and that with a par, as he's not carded a birdie yet.

This could be his chance though as he's in close on the par-three 13th.

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

Image source, BBC Sport

Ludvig Aberg may not be in action this afternoon but he’s still out on the course rooting for his European teammates.

The 23-year-old from Sweden was actually on the same flight as me arriving in Rome and offered a thumbs up as he takes a slightly less taxing route around the Marco Simone.

Needless to say he is getting plenty of love from the home fans.

Justin Rose bears his teeth like he's scrapping for his life - in golfing terms, him and Bob MacIntyre are.

Rose sticks away a birdie putt, asking the question of his American opponents.

Clark responds in kind and that's another half.

Excellent matchplay scuffle going on here.

The brief for Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth was clear: get out there, tear it up and give us something to build on.

Going to plan so far.

Thomas flushes his drive on the 14th, further demonstrating how he's feeling in the groove.

Spieth drags his tee shot left, moans at the tree for getting in the way.

Hovland and Hatton both join Thomas on the fairway. Boom.

Image source, Getty Images

Collin Morikawa cracks a smile for the first time, possibly in the entire round, as he manages to drain a 12-footer on the 10th, maybe this is the start of a comeback?

Nope, it's not, as when the door just edges slightly open, Rory McIlroy slams it shut with a 12-foot putt of his own to maintain that six-hole advantage with just eight to play.

Jon Rahm attacks the flag on 12 as he looks to try and find a way to get in front. Rahm's not actually won a hole in this match yet..

Image source, Getty Images

These putts were going in this morning. Viktor Hovland rolls his to the left of the hole and suddenly Jordan Spieth has an opportunity to get the US moving.

Bosh. It's in and suddenly we're seeing hand slapping, fist pumping and raucous cheers from the Americans.

Makes you wonder why these two were not employed this morning.

Short par-four 11th. Hugely tempting.

Bob MacIntyre and Justin Rose both flunk left and find themselves in the greenside bunker.

Max Homa keeps it conservative, leaving himself 31 yards to the pin.

No such pragmatism from Wyndham Clark who flings his tee shot over the top of the green. He'll be chipping back 18 yards from the fringe.

You can really get at the 13th hole and both Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth deliver. Indeed, Spieth's is better, inside 14 feet.

Last time the US nudged ahead, Viktor Hovland pegged them back immediately and his tee shot is also good, leaving 20 feet for birdie.

Frustration for Tyrrell Hatton though who looks grumpily at the ground. He's picked out the bunker.

Image source, BBC Sport

The United States with the slightest of advantages in the afternoon fourballs.

Graeme Storm
Two-time European Tour winner on BBC Radio 5 Live

That was all about experience from Justin Rose.

He knows what it takes to get the job done - and he's delivered.

The Europeans nibble back in the third match.

Justin Rose had the best approach and his putter follows suit. A wonderfully played hole from the Englishman and, as Max Homa knocks it past, he pockets the win.

Just one in it now.

Justin Thomas dribbles his eagle putt left of the flag but either he or Jordan Spieth will surely slot in for birdie.

One of Tyrrell Hatton or Viktor Hovland need to find their range but they both miss.

They'll make the Americans hole out though - Spieth does the honours.

US back in front.

Image source, Getty Images

Jon Rahm proves, yet again, that Spanish golfers are just seemingly born with the ability to chip and pitch brilliantly. He picks this one off a tight lie and brings it to attention with a dose of spin right next to the hole - stone dead.

Scottie Scheffler needs to drain a 25-footer now just for the half - but he cans it! Must be the longest putt he's made today and just when he needed it.

Well, we wondered how the approaches would go and fair to say they have matched the tee shots.

Pick of the bunch though is Justin Rose whose lasered iron finds the dance floor, just five feet from the pin.

Max Homa will probably need to sink from 13 feet to match the Englishman.

A grimace of disappointment from Justin Thomas who slaps his second shot onto the green but not as tight as he would like, with 27 feet still awaiting him.

There is frustration for the European pair thopugh as both send their approach shots long.

They will probably need a Thomas mistake to halve this hole.

So, to sum up this match on the front nine - it's been completely one-sided thanks to Matt Fitzpatrick's scorching hot putter.

The European pair are seven under through nine holes, with Fitzpatrick enjoying a run of four birdies and an eagle in five consecutive holes. Nobody would live with that kind of form.

Matt Fitzpatrick has gone long of the ninth green while Rory McIlroy went short into the rough, but popped up a nice chip down to four feet so looks like he'll make birdie comfortably enough.

USA have a chance to pinch this hole coming up though...

Four immaculate drives on the par-four 10th from this quartet.

Basically a par three now from here.

So how's your short game, chaps?