Tyrrell Hatton has lost both of his previous singles matches, but against Justin Thomas and Patrick Reed the draw hasn't exactly been kind.

He's drawn the Open champion today but gets off to a winning start as he knocks in a 10-footer on the first for a birdie after a sweet approach.

Hatton looks cool, calm and collected as well as he strides off - you don't see that every day.

These putts are meat and drink to Matt Fitzpatrick when he is running hot and he needs it after Max Homa sinks from 14 feet.

No bother for the Sheffield native. Fitzy matches his opponent and stays ahead.

The knees bending when the ball misses the hole is a tell-tale sign.

Jon Rahm thought his birdie putt from 16 feet was disappearing underground.

It doesn't and that gives Scheffler the chance to knock in from very close range.

This is unmissable. A confidence shot for Scheffler.

It's an eagle putt for Viktor Hovland on five as Collin Morikawa splashes his shot from off the green to six feet.

Hovland is a bit tentative but it's within gimme range so over to the Californian.

That'll be a settler for Morikawa - he's picked out the middle of the cup.

Image source, Getty Images

Rory McIlroy stays ahead in his match against Sam Burns, who won the World Match Play Championship in March.

A par apiece halves the second hole before McIlroy has a chance on the third.

Burns drifts right from the tee and ends up in scorched grass longer than his golden mullet.

Justin Rose dodges a bullet on the third as Patrick Cantlay misses a 12-footer for a birdie and the hole - but the American has come storming out of the blocks here and Rose will do well to hang in this match right now.

AerospaceMango: I'd like to see 3 out of the first 4 won pretty comfortably, and then Justin Rose to hole the winning putt!

Noel: I'm on Nicolai Hojgaard to get the winning point/half point for Europe

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

Image source, BBC Sport

Irish singer-songwriter Niall Horan - once of One Direction - loves his golf and has even got himself a memento of the Ryder Cup. Given he’s pretty good pals with Rory McIlroy and has even caddied for him in the past, there was no surprise to see him welcoming the world number two to the first tee a little earlier.

Image source, BBC Sport

Don't think Viktor Hovland liked being beaten by Collin Morikawa yesterday afternoon.

That tee shot on the short par-four five is absolutely flushed into the heart of the green.

Gauntlet laid down and Morikawa's ball is rolling away from the green.

Not how Zach Johnson saw this one panning out.

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

I wonder which player Axel, Ingrid, Charlotte, Ragnar and Jacob are rooting for today.

They have all come over to Rome from Gothenburg and Stockholm in Sweden.

"Of course Europe will win," says Charlotte, who says she hopes to see Ludvig Aberg hit the winning putt.

"He's awesome. We were chatting to his mum on the course earlier this week and he's Sweden's next big star. After football, golf is the next biggest sport in our country," she adds.

Image source, BBC Sport

Open champion Brian Harman finds the rough with his opening tee shot in this match of fire and ice, with Tyrrell Hatton, very much the fire in that particular recipe, finding the first cut just off the fairway.

Harman has been a lot more animated that we've ever seen him this week, showing just what the Ryder Cup can do - while we know all about Hatton, who should carry his own swear jar around with him.

Oh my. Scottie Scheffler misses the tiddler on the fifth green and gifts the hole to Jon Rahm.

This putting is a big issue, doubt is clearly in his mind and he's in a right old muddle.

The joyful pleasure the European fans are taking from his misfortune won't help either.

Image source, Getty Images

More trouble for Collin Morikawa on the par-three fourth and he's faced with 21 feet to save his par.

It's not happening for him though and he can't convert.

Pressure off Viktor Hovland and he can two-putt for the win.

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

Scheffler looks so tentative - as if he has no idea. So nervous over the putts. His action looks poor, his wrist is moving too much and there's no fluidity to the putting stroke whatsoever.

He and his caddie are over-analysing everything as well to try and get as much detail but it's too much and it's getting into his mind too much, and too often.

The first chance today for the players to drive a par four.

Rahm finds the rough in front of the fifth green, leaving Scheffler with a chance to apply some pressure.

A confident swish with what looks like a three wood does not quite have the legs.

Rahm chips on first, nice and tight. Scheffler follows suit. Putters at the ready...

Slotted from Matt Fitzpatrick.

Europe are off to a hot start.

Fitzy! What a shot on the first and he is inside nine feet with a birdie chance.

That lie in the rough did hamper Max Homa and he is short of the green.

A chance for Matt Fitzpatrick to dust off his wand of a putter and get some more blue on that board.

The big three doing their bit early doors for Team Europe.

Luke Donald loves "a fast start".

So do we, captain.

Image source, BBC Sport

A good start for Europe...

Image source, Getty Images

More fuel for the Scheffler-can't-putt fire.

Under pressure with Rahm in a better position, the American world number one goes too aggressively after his first putt.

The one back is not dead and Scheffler's tension shows as he pushes it right.

That leaves Rahm with two putts for the fourth hole and he duly obliges.

Back to blue.