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Our stat guru tells me that pairings that have held a lead in foursomes matches after nine holes rarely lose.

Over the last three Ryder Cups they are 20-1-0. So if that holds true it'll be a 3-1 session lead for Europe.

Jonathan Jurejko
BBC Sport golf news reporter at Bethpage Black

A lot of American hands in American pockets around the 13th green.

The universal sign of apathy.

One home fan turns away after Hatton drops his putt and simply shakes his head.

Bearpit? Pah. More like a field of sleeping cows.

Scottie Scheffler digs the ball out of the sand and finds the fairway with 95 yards left to the hole.

Matt Fitzpatrick hits an almost identical shot but lands nine yards further back.

The Englishman has hardly put a foot wrong today.

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There's a reason Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton went out first today, as they're just rock solid competitors with not on ounce of quit in them.

The big players shine in big moments and this pair have just seized the initiative at a crucial point with a birdie on 13 putting them three ahead.

It's Hatton who drains an eight footer and after a sticky start they've hung on in there, steadied the ship and have now started to dish out some punches on the Americans - one more could be the knockout.

Class from Scotland's finest. A dead-arms chip rolls up to gimme length. Four for Europe.

Schauffele has a putt for the win though, remember. And he makes it. The US double their lead and captain Keegan Bradley breathes a sigh of relief that you could hear at the top of the Empire State Building.

Danger for Europe as Ludvig Aberg sends his drive into the bunker to the left of this huge par-five with 293 yards to the hole.

Would you believe it? Russell Henley steps up and decides to keep the European ball company in the same bunker.

Hmmm. That was not an easy shot for Viktor Hovland, from a bunker short of the green, but he has airmailed the green and left his partner in juicy rough behind the pin.

Robert MacIntyre is going to need a great touch to get that close.

A simple chip for Patrick Cantlay but there is still a little meat on that bone and Europe will see that putt, as it might well be for the win.

Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy have just tailed off a bit from their red-hot form of earlier, but a nice long lag putt from McIlroy sees them make par and halve the 11th.

That's the key now with a big lead, keep it simple and make the opposition try and make birdies to get back into it - and in foursomes that's dangerous.

Peter Scrivener
BBC Sport senior journalist at Bethpage

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Drowning sorrows or steeling themselves for the afternoon?

The concession stands are doing good business despite it just ticking past 10am - pay for the beer, the food is free.

A couple of quizzical looks at their caddies after those approaches to the 10th, as Robert MacIntyre and Xander Schauffele both come up well short.

Russell Henley can't hole from the edge of the green and the US concede the hole.

High fives all around as Matt Fitzpatrick and Ludvig Aberg go five in front.

Can they be caught now?

Peter Scrivener
BBC Sport senior journalist at Bethpage

I’ve arrived at the 12th green just in time for that Hatton hole winner. Couldn’t see it mind. But the European fans are the ones making themselves heard.

Scottie Scheffler up the hill from the rough to the back of the green. It's a really tricky shot that doesn't carry enough and ends up on the edge of the green.

Huge chance for Matt Fitzpatrick to send Europe five up in this one.

Both pairs miss the 13th green with their approaches, but Justin Thomas gets a stroke of luck as his sliced effort takes a bounce towards the thick rough but hits a marshall to stop it getting even worse.

Short game contest coming up.

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The two captains have to decide on their afternoon fourballs pairings soon, and Keegan Bradley certainly has more to think about than Luke Donald right now.

No pyrotechnics there. Europe chip up for a solid four, the US can't roll in a bomb. Onto the back nine with the home side clinging to a one-hole lead.

Russell Henley is all over the place in this morning session as the second shot for the US flies into the crowd over the back of the green.

Ludvig Aberg shows him exactly how it's done with a lovely shot to the back of the green. Just eight feet to the hole.

That Tyrrell Hatton putt has taken the wind out of the American sails.

Remember Jon Rahm has won all four of his foursomes matches in the past.

This formidable opening pair for Europe is on the march again.

Matt Fitzpatrick with a nice tee shot from the 11th. He drives over the angle and travels 305 yards.

Scottie Scheffler lands Russell Henry in a great spot on the fairway after a clean 291 yard drive on this long par-four.

Andrew Magee
PGA Tour winner on BBC Radio 5 Sports Extra

Oh that’s the dagger. The American’s thought they’d steadied the ship.

Hatton – lovely 20-footer.