More 'wow' stuff from this American pair, but not in a good way at all. Brooks Koepka is heavy handed with his chip after Ludvig Aberg finally played it nicely, then Scottie Scheffler inevitably missed the long putt leaving Viktor Hovland to tap in to win it.

Remember this is the world number one and a five time major champion, two of the big dogs in the USA yard here - and they've started this match double bogey, bogey, double bogey...

Well, we didn't see that coming.

Two minutes after Tommy Fleetwood lips out from a tremendous eagle, Team US walk off the fifth green after clawing back a hole.

It's brillaint from Justin Thomas. The pitbull of the American team makes a mockery of Jordan Spieth's woefully short chip to sink a 18-foot putt and Rory McIlroy is off line from four-and-a-half feet.

Momentum ever-so-slightly shifted.

Tyrrell Hatton redeems himself at the first by knocking in a five-footer to halve the hole after Jon Rahm hit a lovely chip from a tricky spot.

Wow! Viktor Hovland messes up his chip from off the front of the third as it doesn't get up the hill and the ball rolls back down towards his feet.

Scottie Scheffler follows him but incredibly does exactly the same thing! He could have taken the putter for safety, chipped it long and safe, but instead the world number one made the cardinal sin in matchplay of not taking advantage when the opposition is in trouble.

You wanted some momentum, Zach? Step up the Open champion.

A superb hole from this American duo is finished in fine fashion by Brian Harman as he tucks away a gutsy 10-footer for birdie.

The US have a chink.

US captain Zach Johnson on the illness in the camp, speaking to Sky Sports: "It’s a small portion of the players. Some guys have not been feeling their best. Thankfully, we have got a great medical staff and furthermore, they have been responding really well to the antibiotics.

"But that’s sport. It’s not an excuse. Let me get that straight. As I said over and over yesterday, to Luke and his team they played awesome. That’s the story of yesterday.

"My concern is the response of my guys has been very positive. We have leaders on the team, leaders in the vice captains and this team is ready. A new opportunity, new day.

"We want to get some momentum, I’d like to see some red on the board obviously but the confidence is still high. I know what the scoreboard says but this tournament more than any other is all about momentum.

"If we can get ship righted and turned around, we can plod our way along and get back in this thing."

First bad shot almost from Europe today as Tyrrell Hatton lands his approach short of the green, which is a big no-no today. Xander Schauffele is safely aboard the dancefloor.

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

Word reaching me from BBC Radio 5 Live colleague Rory that “a fan dressed head to toe in stars and stripes clobber" just delivered a (fairly aggressive) pep talk to former US skipper Davis Love III”.

Let’s not overstep the mark out here folks.

OK, so we have two well-placed tee shots into the heart of the fourth green. No drama this time.

Justin Thomas has a long-range putt but he leaves it short so Rory McIlroy has a chance to make it four from four for the Europeans.

He's off line but both sides will make the other putt. Nerve-settler from Jordan Spieth. Hole halved.

Breaking news - the USA managed to locate the first fairway! Patrick Cantlay is the man to do it and he gets an ironic cheer from the packed grandstand.

Next up, it's Jon Rahm, who has no doubt heard about Brooks Koepka's comments about his so-called childish behaviour.

The Spaniard looks focused and absolutely hammers his tee shot down the fairway.

Iain Carter
BBC golf correspondent on BBC Radio 5 Live

Yes, the Europeans have played the holes very well but it has been so ragged from the United States players.

Image source, Reuters

There was an earworm rendition of 'Da Doo Rahm Rahm' filling the air at Marco Simone yesterday - and the atmosphere is crackling again today.

We've also got Fleetwood Mac hitting all the right notes today.

That got me thinking.

Golfers in song titles - give us your best efforts.

I'm a big fan of the PJ and Duncan classic 'Let's Get Ready to Rahmble'...

Scottie Scheffler is off target again with the putter as the USA bogey the second hole after a double on the first.

Europe get a regulation par and that's plenty good enough against the American pair who have started particularly poorly.

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

Believe it or not it is jacket/warm clothing territory every morning in the media centre. Think the Blackpool seafront in November!

But once you get out on the golf course things soon warm up. Temperatures are likely to be around 15°C when the players tee off this morning but will climb several degrees in the first couple of hours before hitting 29°C this afternoon.

That basically means that using the many water refill stations the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club (on holes two, five, seven, eight, nine, 10, 11, 12 and 14) and sun cream are essential for fans.

There are also loads of cool boxes stacked with ice and other drinks as well as refill options on a number of the tees for players and officials.

Image source, BBC Sport

Image source, BBC Sport

A scrambling Justin Thomas shows he still has some fight with a fine save from the rough to give Jordan Spieth a chance of rescuing this hole.

Par putt from 10 feet, no, it misses to the right and another bogey for this blockbuster duo.

They are three down after three holes.

Brian Harman digs Max Homa's errant tee shot out of the rough and does a pretty decent job to get it on the fringe of the green.

Homa's follow-up chip goes in tight so that should be a first par of the morning for the Americans. It duly is for Harman.

From the middle of the fairway, Shane Lowry takes aim and picks out the green to set up Sepp Straka but he can't convert the putt.

Halved.

Image source, Getty Images

I don't know if Jon Rahm saw the banner of his hero Seve Ballesteros as it wrapped down the grandstand 20 minutes or so again but he would have made his Spanish predecessor proud with his performance yesterday.

The ultimate competitor, he's paired once again with Tyrrell Hatton who played two quietly excellent rounds of golf yesterday.

Their opponents? The previously undefeated Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay who fell in the bottom foursome yesterday.

Image source, Getty Images

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

Image source, BBC Sport

Lots of fancy dress and lots of high European spirits around the second hole with Tommy Fleetwood draining that putt from downtown.

Finn and Graham, aka Mario and Luigi, from London and Liverpool, certainly enjoyed it anyway.

So, we have a fairway for the Americans on hole three but that is hideous from Jordan Spieth.

He's crunched it and it spews off to the left of the green, bundling down the bank and disappearing.

It makes Tommy Fleetwood's shot very easy and he calmly plonks his ball onto the putting surface.

Too easy at the moment.

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

The home fans are loving this.

Three US tee shots, three balls way out right in the rough.

Cries of “fore” with arms outstretched have accompanied every one.

Only fair to let the thousands lining the fairway up ahead know that a ball is heading their way.