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The state of Minnesota - one which hugs the Canadian border - is home to the city of Minneapolis, which is in turn home to Hazeltine National Golf Club.

Minneapolis is a city rich in water (Lee Westwood will testify), with the Mississippi River running through its heart and a healthy 13 lakes dotted around the urban landscape. 

It's also where pop sensation Prince hailed from. So if listening to a tune while sailing is your thing, what are you waiting for?

Westwood's fourth at seven comes up short, and that looks like a lost game for Europe already, USA about to go four up. 

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Just as I'm about to type "who will ignite this" the answer arrives.

Rickie Fowler has just taken his kerosene soaked rags and the US flame is now burning bright. Phil Mickelson's fist pump fans the flames.

Fowler dinked a chip from the fringe and measured it to perfection. With a bounce and a roll, it refuses to change course and drops. A huge blow for Rory McIlroy and Andy Sullivan. They were two up half an hour ago. One down now. What a shot from Fowler. A true dagger.

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Kaymer putting for birdie at eight... doesn't hit it, the Americans with a glimmer. Zach Johnson pulls out his wand but this time it doesn't quite work, lipping out and ensuring that Europe remain one up.

Here's Walker on tee at the par-three eighth, gets inside Garcia's effort but both have makeable birdie putts. 

Tom Fordyce
Chief sports writer at Hazeltine

Rose gave Spieth and Reed the absolute daggers when Stenson's two-foot putt on the ninth was not conceded by the Americans. Reed strikes no-one as a conceder.

Andrew Magee
American PGA Tour winner on BBC Radio 5 live

Jordan Spieth hasn't hit a good long shot yet. Just short shots and putts so far from Jordan Spieth.

That was Jordan Spieth's mistake on that hole. The momentum turn will be huge on the back nine. 

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"Hang, hang, hang, hang. Hang in there". That's the Phil Mickelson instruction as he whips a ball from the rough, over a tree and to the fringe of the green. 

That probably constitutes a slight advantage for him and Rickie Fowler as they sit closer than Rory McIlroy and Andy Sullivan. Could it be three holes in a row for the US.

Remember what we said earlier. Europe won seven of eight points in the foursomes back in 2014. That isn't going to happen here.

Actually, only about eight feet for Zach and he rams it in - hole halved, the Americans remain one down... meanwhile, back down the seventh, we think Westwood might have found water off the tee...

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To the ninth and the putting machine that is Jordan Spieth. He needs to drain this from around 15ft. His grip is soft, some beads around his wrist add a little colour. Of she goes, rolling to the hole, it's in is it? No. Just shy.

That leaves two putts for the hole for Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson. Rose up first, good stroke, two feet left. Is that a gimmee? No say Team America. Stenson is nicknamed 'the Ice Man', surely he will putt this dolly away... at last, the pair win a hole.

Can that shift the momentum at the turn? By golly, Europe have work to do.

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Here's Jimmy Walker at the par-four seventh, only a wedge left... that's a peach, right over the flag and spun to within a few feet. Garcia second to play after a booming drive by Kaymer... that's a gimme, Zach will have a 12-footer to halve the hole and stay one down.

Phil Mickelson and Rickie Folwer don't even have to putt on eight as Rory McIlroy and Andy Sullivan make a sufficient dog's dinner of the par three. Back to all square. A rapid change.

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Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose are par-par-par-par-par-par-par-par so far. 

Steady Eddie isn't good enough today though. Three birdies for the American duo of Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed have blown Team Europe away.

Now, with Spieth finding a bunker, can Henrik Stenson change the story. His swing is powerful, it never looks anything but, and the ball is on the green, 20ft from the pin. They must win this hole.

THE Chris Broad? Is that South Africa v Australia in the background?

Here's Zach Johnson of the United States putting at the sixth and it's pretty ordinary, that hole has been halved and Europe remain one up... Kaymer came up short with his birdie attempt, some pantomime boos as Garcia is spared a knee-knocker...

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Andrew Magee
American PGA Tour winner on BBC Radio 5 live

They have hit every green and missed every putt. It’s the first day, let’s not get impatient. There’s a long race to be run and these two will find their form.

Oh how things can turn, how they can turn. Phil Mickelson eyes up the 189-yard par three eighth. His swing is rapid, his glare is pure steel, his ball is five feet from the pin.

Rory McIlroy has caught the jitters. He found the splash with his last shot and this time it's sand. All he needs is a lolly ice and towel and it's a day at the beach. Surely, the US are about to level this match.

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