Fred Funk
Former US Ryder Cup player

We need something to spark, either the sun or this match. We were walking alongside Jimmy Walker to the tee and he looked very focused, very intense.

You are waiting for a little spark to get yourself going. They are still not hitting the quality shots, but when something happens you can get into a rhythm really quickly.

Again Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed leave the door open for Europe, again Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson cannot walk through it.

Spieth's tee shot leaves Reed with a long putt on eight, it's short and that's a par.

Stenson missiles one in to within 15ft, Rose can win the hole here... no. Wide again. A deep swallow from Rose.

Image source, PA

The atmosphere out there is febrile, it's like a college American football match. The hosts up in two in a big way, the visitors up in two not by much.  

Rory McIlroy has a real tester on seven, remember this pairing have just gone two up. He needs to lift the ball from the rough but a tree close by means he can't give it full throttle. The four-time major winner gets it all wrong, clipping a branch and his ball lands out of bounds, possibly even in water.

Phil Mickelson just has to hit the heart of the green for this one to surely belong to the US. He does.

Image source, PA

Dustin curls in a longun at five for his first birdie of the day, meaning Westwood has a nasty one for the half... can't make it, Europe up against it in that one...

Image source, EPA

Image source, Getty Images

Andy Sullivan has probably not hit anything over 100 on the golf course since he was a kid. But on the darts board it is a different story.

The European rookie, who was an automatic qualifier for Darren Clarke's side, reckons he is the king of the oche. 

With a long lead up to Friday's opening foursomes and spare time after practice and daily meetings, there has been plenty of good-bantered bonding among the visitors.  

"The best part of the team room is the darts board," said Sullivan. "I think that's where I'm going to find myself taking down a few of the boys in there."

Image source, BBC Sport

Some shockers off the tee saw Phil Mickelson and Rickie Fowler concede the sixth hole when Rory McIlroy and Andy Sullivan reached the green in three.

We hope you are enjoying this. Stay in touch at all times on #bbcrydercup and we expect you hear all weekend too. No slacking now.

Friday and Saturday:

Foursomes at 13:35, 13:50, 14:05 and 14:20

Fourballs at 18:30, 18:45, 19:00 and 19:15

Sunday:

Singles matches start at 17:04

All times are BST.

The normally reliable pairing of Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose are being picked apart here. The seventh hole the latest scene of brutality as Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed combine joyfully.

It's left to Reed to roll home from five feet and he lashes his fist into the air. 

Image source, PA

Postpublished at 15:12 British Summer Time 30 September 2016

15:12 BST 30 September 2016

Z Johnson/Walker v Kaymer/Garcia 1UP (5)

Hit it! Martin Kaymer to win the hole, uphill, line perfect, just not enough beans. Never up, never in. Europe stay one up, but, as Franz Ferdinand sang, it could have been so much better.

Tom Fordyce
Chief sports writer at Hazeltine

Autumnal mist still in the air, but cans of beers in brown paper bags being glugged around the greens. 

It's already starting to show: when Stenson's approach on the sixth found the greenside bunker, it was greeted with a loud shout of, "SUCK IT!"

Nowhere have we seen better play today than that of Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed. Off the tee, on the green and when in trouble, they have found answers.

Spieth stands in the fairway on seven, water to his right and around this green. Again he digs in and takes a big divot. A lot of spin when this lands... it does and the fizz on the ball leaves five feet for birdie. This pair have been as clean as a whistle and could well be three up shortly as Europe have around 25ft left for birdie.

Image source, PA

We are seeing the great and the downright miserable. Justin Rose just shaves a dogleg beautifully on the seventh hole to open up a chance for Team Europe.

Phil Mickelson as we know went out of bounds on six. Rickie Fowler hit the American's third off the tee and found trees, left-hander Mickelson then had to play right handed to find the fairway. In a nutshell, Europe will win this hole barring one almighty mess up.

Image source, PA

What are university lectures for if not for following our Ryder Cup coverage on your laptop?

Henrik Stenson found the bunker moments ago. He's seen Patrick Reed miss a putt to put him and playing partner Jordan Spieth three up and now it's back to Stenson to tidy up from six feet. He walks after his ball a split second after hitting it. That's normally a sign of a miss but not this time.

Jordan Spieth will look to put one away from the same distance to halve the sixth. Do I need to type any more? I guess not. Yep, he drains it. You knew that anyway.

Image source, PA

Oh yes! Sergio Garcia! Just when it looked like Europe were surrendering their lead, the Spaniard drains one from the fringe, all of 30 feet or more. He points to the crowd to let them know that's dropped, piling pressure back on the States to hole from five feet or so for a half.

Image source, EPA

Phil Mickelson has the big dog out on the sixth tee. He swings and a caddie points right. That my friends is out of bounds. That my friends is a big chance for Rory McIlroy and Andy Sullivan.

Rory McIlroy wedged in from around 100 yards on the sixth hole in practice this week, damaging the cup in the process.

He's making a habit of it lately. Holing from the fairway got him into contention to claim the Fed Ex Cup last week. What's that saying? These things come in threes. Rory is walking to the sixth.

Image source, PGA

Carin Koch
Last year's European Solheim Cup captain on BBC Radio 5 live

It's very difficult to get into a rhythm. You might end up not having putted for a while or not having hit a certain shot, and that makes it hard to get into a rhythm.

You can listen to Carin and the team on 5 live now, just click 'live coverage' at the top of this page.