Ryder Cup 2023 LIVE: Europe lead in all FOUR matches as Luke Donald’s men set the pace with a sublime start in Rome… and Jon Rahm is denied stunning hole-in-one after his tee shot hits the pin

Fleetwood has a chance to put himself and McIlroy 2 up, but he misses a 15-foot putt, by the barest of margins! The ball literally trickled by the hole!

Will they come to rue that mistake?

He’s got an approach of 178 to the pin on the 10th, but he undercooks it, with the ball dropping on the lip of the green and rolling back down the fairway.

Rahm is in a difficult position here with the ball below his feet on the left rough. He uses his power to chunk it out and misses an opportunity to get the ball back on the fiarway, sending his shot over to the far right rough – with the ball narrowly stopping before going out of bounds.

Scheffler & Burns s Rahm & Hatton 2 up

Homa & Harman vs Hovland & Aberg 2 up

Fowler & Morikawa vs Lowry & Straka 3 up

Schauffele & Cantlay vs McIlroy & Fleetwood 1 up

As a standard with the majors and some of the toughest tracks on the pro tours, the rough always presents a grueling and unrelenting challenge.

The problem this week at the Marco Simone course is that the fairways are very narrow and there’s little margin for error. Accuracy is key and perhaps that will favour Team Europe this week – who hold an advantage in their driving accuracy against the Americans, who perhaps have a little more firepower than Luke Donald’s side.

We’ve been out on the course checking out the lay of the land and we were lucky not to lose our Pro V1 balls in the thick stuff.

Taking a wedge out of the 3rd cut will be a tough challenge this week, so staying on the fairways, particularly in the Foursomes will be vitally important to getting points on the board this week.

It looks like the Americans took a drop here after Burns put an approach in the water.

Scheffler finds himself on the banks of the hazard on the ninth hole with the ball above his feet right in the thick of the rough.

The ball is totally submerged here but he shows why he’s right now topping the OWGR rankings, lofting his shot up into the air and dropping it right onto the green.

Morikawa and Fowler go down by another, with Morikawa failing to halve a pressure putt on the seventh.

It’s been a dream start for Luke Donald’s side. As of right now they’re up in all four groups.

The American’s are fighting back but are not quite clicking through the front nine.

Sam Burns has just found the water on the ninth which could be a big set back for Zach Johnson’s side, while Hatton gives Rahm a chance to pitch on here and take the advantage putting his approach just right of the green.

Elsewhere, McIlroy halves on the fifth to keep their advantage in their match against Schauffele and Cantlay, while Aberg finds the green from over the lake at the 8th.

Here’s how McIlroy gave him and Fleetwood the lead…

Novak Djokovic was in action earlier this week along side Gareth Bale in the pro-am event!

The 24-time Grand Slam winner, who recently claimed victory at the US Open in New york jokingly pulled out a tennis racket on the first tee!

He was an integral part in helping Colin Montgomerie’s side claim victory against Corey Pavin’s team earlier this week, with Djokovic impressing with his driving.

He’s got a ten foot shot to tie the eighth hole – but the world No 1 makes no mistake.

He drops the ball in the cup to keep the deficit against Rahm and Hatton to just two holes.

An excellent shot on the par 3 fourth from Fleetwood sees the Merseyside man drop his ball right on the middle of the green – he’s set McIlroy up well for a great putt in here.

Meanwhile, on the par three 7th, Hovland’s just dropped his ball on the dance floor too. Europe’s approach play from under 225 yards has been excellent so far today.

There have only ever been SIX hole-in-ones in the history of the Ryder Cup and Rahm came narowly close.

He could have joined an illustrious club of names which includes, Peter Butler in 1973, Nick Faldo in 1993, Costantino Rocca and Howard Clark in 1995, and Paul Casey and Scott Verplank in 2006 at the K Club in Ireland

He nearly breaks the deadlock with a beautiful winding putt on the third hole – but it can’t work it’s way back roundto the hole.

Meanwhile, Shane Lowry is playing some stunning golf, putting an approach over the lake on the 5th to within 5 feet!

Morikawa’s set Fowler up for a good chip on here on the short par 4 fifth hole.

Meanwhile, Burns has struck his shot wayward left on six. It’s over by the river that streaks down the left side of the fairway and will be a tough shot for Scheffler to come back from here.

If you’re just joining us, bienvenido! It’s been some morning at Marco Simone with plenty of action so far. Europe have started the better of the two sides and currently lead in three of the groups – but the US Team are fighting back!

Scheffler & Burns vs Rahm & Hatton 2 up

Homa & Harman vs Hovland & Aberg 1up

Fowler & Morikawa vs Lowry & Straka 2 up

Schauffele & Cantlay vs McIlroy & Fleetwood

And they’re 2 up now, Lowry plays a brilliant tee shot on the on the par 3 putting the ball within 5 feet of the hole and Staka finishes off to add to their lead against Fowler and Morikawa.

An error on the fifth gives the Americans a chance to halve the hole, but Open Champion Brian Harman has a tough putt from around 15 feet to level – but he puts it wide!

Hovland and Aberg retain the lead!

The accuracy of Team Europe this morning has been unbelievable!

He’s just sent a lofted wedge right the way down the par 3 seventh and nearly holed out!

That’s the second time Europe have hit the flag stick this morning!

An excellent chip on from Rickie Fowler on the fourth puts him and Morikawa in a prime spot to get one back against Lowry and Straka.

He’s been in flying form this season after a couple of difficult years on the PGA Tour claiming his first win since the 2014-15 season at the Rocket Mortgage classic and its great to see him back firing again.

Even so, it seems the US Team Captain is backing his players to overcome the obstacles this course possesses.

The 47-year-old, who has a record of 8-7-2 across five Ryder Cup appearances as a player, is seemed confident this week that his team would be able to overcome the difficulties of Marco Simone, but wasn’t getting ahead of himself either, admitting it will be tricky out there especially when playing off the rough.

‘I think it’s a challenge for anybody that hits it in there,’ Johnson said during the captain’s press conference this week.

‘I mean, it is penal. It’s difficult. I feel like fairways are a premium but you could probably say that any given week.

‘Whether it’s bermuda or bent or fescue or bluegrass, you know, you’ve still got to keep that ball in the fairway, and maybe more so here. But I think it’s well-defined.

‘I think it is for the most part, with a couple blind shots but that’s Marco Simone. That’s not the setup. I think for the most part, it’s right out in front of you, which is all you can ask for in a test.

‘And I think the most important factor that I’m confident in is my guys really like it. That makes it — I mean, if you want to play it, that helps a lot.’

Following suit of his partner, Aberg Almost chips in from the rough on the fourth, with his ball coasting narrowly by the hole.

But some composed play from Homa and Harman sees them get back to level ground, with Aberg and Hovland conceding the fourth.

What a match this has been so far!

This week, the Marco Simone course will play as a par 71 stretching, to an impressive 7181 yards, a pretty long distance, but one that the players will be used to.

For context, the Torrey Pines south course, the site of the 2021 US Open stretched to a whopping 7765 yards, one of the longest tracks on the PGA Tour, while Augusta National spans to around 7510 yards.

And it will be hard to score this weekend. The course is set up with three par 5s and four par 3s, with the players being welcomed onto the front nine by a trio of par 4s.

Combining the distance, the heat and the undulating terrain and this course is set to be a real caddie killer – there are plenty of hills and blind shots out there, so staying hydrated during the long days will be key.

It’s expected to be around 30ºC today, which will inevitably have an impact on the ball with the heat helpoing the ball carry further.

The course starts with a 445 yard par 4, with the green being well-protected on the the first hole which dog legs slightly left. A good start will be needed, with players to face an enormous 506 yard par 4 on the second, one of the hardest holes out there, which challenges players with a dog leg left.

The first par 3 comes in at the fourth hole. Stretching to 188 yards, the pin placement here will be pivotal – with it set up down the left side of the green then players will have a much easier chance to score birdie or better.

A 302 yard par 4 follows to cap off the first five holes which will again present a good opportunity for those who can drive the green, but the challenge here is the body of water snaking its way along the front-left of the green.

So there are plenty of places to score as well as gain shots at the start of the course but who will take the lead after the first session?

Rahm taps in a 5-footer on the fifth hole to give Europe a 2 hole advantage in their game against Scheffler and Burns.

Meanwhile, Homa and Harman get one back against Hovland and Aberg, after the Norwegian couldn’t quite chip his ball far enough, with it catching in the thick rough on the fringe of the green.

The final group have reached the first green and it’s Cantlay putting for a birdie here, but his shot drifts just wide of the hole.

Xander will have a putt for par here and he drops the ball in.

Fleetwood, meanwhile, halves the hole with a par.

He’s almost chipped in again! And that was narrowly close! The ball has just a bit too much heat on it and it bounces directly back off the flag stick dropping just a couple of feet from the hole.

Hovland really is on fire this morning. What a start.

It’s the first par 3 of the day and Hatton has a long putt here to put his pairing 2 up. Its a long shot and he comes narrowly close, but it just drifts wide.

Scheffler meanwhile is less than seven feet away and fluffs his shot! He’s struggled with his flat stick this season, so will that come in to play this weekend?

The hole is halved with Europe 1 up through four in this match.

Right back to the first for our final pairing and Xander Schauffele has struck first, sweeping his ball down the left side of the fairway. It’s not a bad drive, but his ball falls just on the periphery of the rough.

It’s McIlroy to hit next, and he goes the other way, landing his ball just on the edge of the first cut.

And we’re in for a blockbuster finish! Both captains have placed some of their best players in the final grouping.

Olympic champion Xander Schauffele and 2021 FedEx Cup winner Patrick Cantlay have plenty of Ryder Cup pedigree between them. They were paired together twice in the Foursomes at Whistling Straits, beating Ian Poulter and McIlroy before being beating Westwood and Fitzpatrick on the Saturday.

Interestingly they went out in the final group on both occasions. But Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood, stalwarts of this competition, are a duo that you just wouldn’t want to bet against.

The FedEx Cup champion has put his team 2 up against Homa and Harman.

What a start! He drains an excellent putt from 12 feet and high fives Aberg after his excellent approach shot onto the green.

To wrap up the groups for this morning’s session, Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy will square off against Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay in an epic battle.

Between them, McIlroy and Fleetwood have 19 points at the Ryder Cup in their careers and they’ll be a tough duo to overcome today.

The Englishman notably paired up with Francesco Molinari in 2018, famously combining forces to win three points at Le Golf National, notably defeating Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau in the Saturday Foursomes with a resounding 5 & 4.

And speaking on the partnership on Thursday, McIlroy said he was hoping to live up to Molinari this weekend in Rome.

McIlroy said: ‘I feel like this as excited and as ready a group as i’ve been a part of. We’re all really relaxed but we know the task at hand. It’s a really strong American team and they have a lot of tough partnerships.

‘We’re going up against one of them tomorrow in Xander and Patrick who have an incredible record.

‘But as Tommy said, how Tommy played in France in his last home Ryder Cup and the partnership he had [with Francesco Molinari] I just hope I can live up to Francesco. If I can live up to Francesco I think we’ll be just okay.’

While Fleetwood and Molinari were dubbed ‘Moliwood’ following their winning partnership at Le Golf National, McIlroy and the Englishman are not wanting to break ‘The Chain’ of European nicknames at Marco Simone. When asked what their pairing will be called this week, McIlroy responded: ‘It’s obvious isn’t it? FleetwoodMac!’

Rahm nails his birdie putt on the third hole and puts Europe 1 up in the first match.

Europe really have the momentum this morning and a couple of moments of sheer brilliance have spurred them into second gear.

The Spaniard still has some work to do over this putt, curling the ball down hill to drop it into the hole.

Meanwhile, Fleetwood and McIlroy are walking to the first tee!

I think he’s got his club selection sligthly wrong there, or the adrenaline from that amasing chip is still pumping.

He’s got a shot over a bunker from about 180-yards out, but he seems to have put too much on it, with the ball travelling into the patrons at the back of the green. It’ll be a tough chip in for Aberg to recover.

It’s been a cagey start between Scheffler & Burns and Rahm and Hatton.

Neither pairing has taken the advantage yet, with Burns sending an approach on the third hole just ahead of the bunkers on the left of the green.

This could be the time for the Europeans to take advantage, with Hatton putting his shot onto the green.

Sensational stuff from Viktor Hovland.

He’s put Europe 1 up against Homa and Brian Harman.

It’s Morikawa to hit first and he pushes his golf ball into the second cut on the right. The ball kicks up a bit but it looks pretty submerged in the thick stuff.

The same goes for Sepp Straka, who pulls his drive left and finds the rough on the opposite side of the fairway.

Here comes the next group and its Rickie Fowler and Collin Morikawa to take on Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka!

Rickie Fowler resurgence sees him come into the tournament with plenty of confidence and he’ll pair up with the ever consistent Collin Morikawa. I can see this pairing being a tough one to break down.

But Shane Lowry’s past experience at this tournament is invaluable. He dazzled at Whistling Straits in the singles and the former Open Champion will be able to offer plenty of knowledge to his partnership with Sepp Straka on his first Ryder Cup appearance.

The Austrian is equally brimming in confidence off the back of a win earlier this September at the John Deere Classic.

Unbelievable! Viktor Hovland take a bow!

That was an enormous chip from the fringe of the green. He gets his read absolutely perfect and shows why he is the in-form golfer at the moment, with his shot trickling into the hole.

A huge roar goes up from the patrons and Hovland fist bumps the air!

He gets the first point on the board for Team Europe!

A simply outrageous shot on the first from Scottie Scheffler. There’s a reason why he’s world No 1…

It’s a good second shot from the Open Champion. He places his ball in the heart of the green.

Aberg follows from the same distance and lands his ball on the green, but slightly to the right hand side. Hovland will have the longer putt in to the hole.

Luke Donald claims the Ryder Cup is the best team sporting event in the world and is lapping up the atmosphere on the first tee.

‘For me this for me is the best team sporting event in the world, I might be biased – but that’s what I think.

‘Look at the crowds, the energy, the passion, this is what the Ryder Cup is all about.

Speaking on his side’s start, Donald said: ‘Two-for-two in fairways so far. I’m feeling pretty good. My boys are ready. I’m not worried about any of my guys. They’re built for this.’

Its Homa to hit first and he follows Jon Rahm’s drive earlier sending a lovely fade down to the right side of the fairway. A great start for the duo.

Meanwhile, Hovland follows suit, playing an almost identical shot to open up the first green.

The second group is an interesting one and I’m not sure where the points will go here. Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland are both currently in excellent form.

Hovland comes into the week off the back of winning the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship, while Aberg clinched his first win at the Omega European Masters after earning his spot on the PGA Tour earlier in the year.

Brian Harman and Max Homa aren’t without success this season, either. The former’s brilliance at Hoylake will stand him in good stead under the pressure of playing in Europe this week.

While Homa notably triumphed at the notoriously difficult Torrey Pines south course. Like Burns, Homa comes in with some equally impressive putting stats which will play into his favour on the greens at Marco Simone which have been set up to favour the European’s this week.

Incase you missed it, here’s Hovland’s hole-in-one from yesterday…

Rahm can’t get his shot in to secure the birdie so it’s an opening par for both sides.

Meanwhile, things are about to get underway on the first tee…

That was agonisingly close! Even Viktor Hovland walking out on the first tee, watching the shot on the big screen grimaced as the ball travelled quickly to the hole from around 20-yards out.

It lipped around the hole and was so close to dropping in!

Up next we’ve got Max Homa & Brian Harman vs Viktor Hovland & Ludvig Aberg.

Homa, Harman and Aberg will all be making their debuts at the tournament this weekend, with Aberg, 23, only winning his PGA Tour card this year!

He’s had an excellent season, notably clinching his first win on the DP World Tour at the Omega European Masters – so I’m very excited to see him in action!

Scheffler’s drive was a pretty big one, despite falling in the rough on the left side of the fairway.

He’s got a 9-iron in hand and has about 160 yards to the flag, with a great view in here.

And he nails it, landing the ball nicely on the green to give Rahm a shot for a birdie putt.

Burns is up next, and he’s in the thick stuff here – I can’t even see the tops of his shoes!

And he can’t find the green! The ball lands short on the fairway. That’s a big advantage to Europe!

A big fist bump of relief from Rahm, as he stripes a lovely fade to the right hand side of the first hole, opening up the green for his partner Hatton.

Great start for Europe, let’s see what Sam Burns can do from the rough here!

Here we go! It’s Scottie Scheffler to get us started. He gets a few ‘Oles’ for his practice swing before addressing the ball.

The pressure he must be feeling right no! He steps up to address the ball and sends his drive slightly left of the fairway, with the ball landing in the second cut.

Jon Rahm will get things going for Europe…

Both captains have deployed two strong pairings to start, in a bid to get points on the board. World No 1 Scottie Scheffler and WGC Dell Technologies Match Play winner Sam Burns will be a formidable force to stop. It’s a clever pairing from Johnson.

While Scheffler’s putting hasn’t been the greatest so far this season, his partner, Burns, is ranked 9th on the PGA Tour for strokes gained with the flat stick and is first for putts from inside seven feet.

Equally, world No 3 Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton possess a lot of fire power and experience at this event. Their brawn and brilliance combined will make them a great pairing to go out first for Europe.

It’s going to be a big match this, where do you think the points are coming from?

Here they come! Team Europe’s first pairing are entering the arena, and they look ready to play.

The pair were seen shaking hands with Tommy Fleetwood on the putting green before walking down the gangway to the first tee. They exchanged a laugh and smile on the way before they were given a rapturous welcome to the arena.

Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns come out to a much different reaction, but there are plenty of USA fans in the house here this morning with cries of ‘USA, USA’ ringing around the grand stand.

It’s a mixed reaction for the US Team captain as he steps out into the arena.

He heads over to greet Luke Donald and the pair exchange in a handshake!

Meanwhile, Robert MacIntyre, who is making his first Ryder Cup appearance this week but is not featuring in the Foursomes this morning, is patrons with a thunder clap!

… and here we are, we’re less than ten minutes away!

It’s Scottie Scheffler & Sam Burns to head out against Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton first.

It’s a huge group to go out first and will see the World No 1 go head-to-head with the World No 3.

And while we wait for the players, it’s European vice-captain Nicolas Colsaerts who’s getting the fans going here as he’s stood on the first tee.

Cries of ‘Ole Ole Ole’ ring out around the stadium, as Zach Johnson prepares to enter the arena…

Luke Donald is walking into the Coliseum on the fist hole as we speak!

An enormous roar from the crowd goes up for the Ryder Cup captain.

He walks out on his own and gives a big salute to the patrons inside the grand stand arena before heading over to greet the team.

Unable to pick stalwarts of the tournament, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter, Luke Donald has had to look to some younger stars of the game.

Both sides will have new faces on their teams this year and in the European ranks, young star, Ludvig Aberg – who won his PGA Tour card earlier this year – will head up a group of young players looking to win back the trophy in Rome this weekend.

He’ll be joined by Sepp Straka, who also makes his debut in the tournament after a fantastic season on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, as well as Robert MacIntyre and Nicolai Hojgaard – also making their first appearances at the biennial event.

‘I certainly have a lot of belief in my team,’ Donald, a four-time Cup winner said earlier this week. ‘I know it’s going to be a difficult next few days. The US are very strong and we are coming off our worst defeat ever in a Ryder Cup. They have some great partnerships and have had a lot of success.

‘We have our work cut out but you have to have belief.’

Within the group there are some experienced names. Notable among them is Justin Rose who has five appearances in the tournament, winning 14 points for his team during those appearances. Shane Lowry was a huge figure in the European team last time out at Le Golf National, alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland, who is perhaps the most in-form golfer on the team sheet right now, clinching the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship to win the FedEx Cup in August.

Then there comes four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and world No 2 Jon Rahm, two golfers who are set to lead Europe this week.

It’ll be a buzz of excitment and anticipation inside Luke Donald’s Team dressing room right now.

Tommy Fleetwood gave us a sneak peak inside the changing room yesterday, showcasing the Seve Ballasteros murals that align the tunnel the players will walk out from and his very own seat right inside the middle of the dressing room.

Will some Seve magic help Europe get the win this weekend?

Talking about being excited for the Ryder Cup, Team Europe’s Robert MacIntyre, who’ll make his first appearance at the tournament this weekend posted a photo online of his custom Team Europe pajamas.

The first Foursomes matchwill kick off in around 30 minutes time before we head on to the Fourballs for the afternoon’s session and there are some juicy pairings to get our teeth sunk into today.

The first match will see Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns take on Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton. Max Homa and Brian Harman will tee off next against Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg.

Rickie Fowler will pair up with Collin Morikawa against Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka.

And Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay will go head-to-head with Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood in the final duel of the morning.

Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Wyndham Clark will sit out the morning session for the US. While Justin Rose, Nicolai Hojgaard, Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre will not play in the morning for the Europeans.

Yesterday, Team Europe were out in practice, teeing off from the first and played nine holes while the US Team played the back nine.

Friday’s tee times are as follows (all in British Summer Time):

6:35am – Scheffler & Burns vs Rahm & Hatton

6:50am – Homa & Harman vs Hovland & Aberg

7:05am – Fowler & Morikawa vs Lowry & Straka

7:20am – Schauffele & Cantlay vs McIlroy & Fleetwood

Afternoon Fourballs (pairings to be announced)

It’s all excitement in Rome! The patrons are arriving in good numbers and Jon Rahm raises his fist to the air to salute the arriving fans.

So as it stands, Team US currently lead Europe for all-time Ryder Cup wins.

Over 43 events and 1012 matches the USA leads with 27 wins to 14.

But will that all change this week?

It’s been an early start this morning and we’re less than an hour away from the first tee times!

The stage is set and we’re ready to go!

Good morning and welcome to our coverage of the 2023 Ryder Cup!

The wait is nearly over and we’re almost ready to get started here at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club as Team Europe are looking to take the coveted trophy back off Zach Johnson’s US Team.

The first groups are set to tee off in just over 30 minutes time so we’ll be building up to the groups going out and what’s been going on this week until then!

The course is looking immaculate, it’ll be a grueling challenge for all the players this week and as many have already said, it is set up for a wonderful spectacle of match play golf.

Narrow fairways, slow greens and some seriously unforgiving rough await the players this week and it will be very interesting to see how the world’s best golfers get on with the difficulties that this course possesses, especially in the team based formats.

Our man Mike Keegan has been exploring the winding fairways of the Marco Simone and has delivered his detailed guide of what to expect when traversing this stunning track.

Thanks to those of you who have joined us very early on Friday morning for the start of play, with the first tee time at 6:35.

Here’s the pairings for the opening foursomes matches. Some mouthwatering clashes in here…

Scheffler/Burns (US) vs Rahm/Hutton (EUR) – 6:35

Homa/Harmon (US) vs Hovland/Aberg (EUR) – 6:50

Fowler/Morikawa (US) vs Lowry/Straka (EUR) – 7:05

Schauffele/Cantlay (US) vs McIlroy/Fleetwood (EUR) – 7:20

Good morning and welcome to our coverage of the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome.

The time for talking is nearly over as the best players from Europe and the United States get ready to do battle over three days in what is one of the world’s great sporting events.

Will the US retain the trophy, or will it be Rory McIlory and Co who are celebrating come Sunday afternoon?

Fleetwood has a chance to put himself and McIlroy 2 up, but he misses a 15-foot putt, by the barest of margins! The ball literally trickled by the hole!

Will they come to rue that mistake?

He’s got an approach of 178 to the pin on the 10th, but he undercooks it, with the ball dropping on the lip of the green and rolling back down the fairway.

Rahm is in a difficult position here with the ball below his feet on the left rough. He uses his power to chunk it out and misses an opportunity to get the ball back on the fiarway, sending his shot over to the far right rough – with the ball narrowly stopping before going out of bounds.

Scheffler & Burns s Rahm & Hatton 2 up

Homa & Harman vs Hovland & Aberg 2 up

Fowler & Morikawa vs Lowry & Straka 3 up

Schauffele & Cantlay vs McIlroy & Fleetwood 1 up

As a standard with the majors and some of the toughest tracks on the pro tours, the rough always presents a grueling and unrelenting challenge.

The problem this week at the Marco Simone course is that the fairways are very narrow and there’s little margin for error. Accuracy is key and perhaps that will favour Team Europe this week – who hold an advantage in their driving accuracy against the Americans, who perhaps have a little more firepower than Luke Donald’s side.

We’ve been out on the course checking out the lay of the land and we were lucky not to lose our Pro V1 balls in the thick stuff.

Taking a wedge out of the 3rd cut will be a tough challenge this week, so staying on the fairways, particularly in the Foursomes will be vitally important to getting points on the board this week.

It looks like the Americans took a drop here after Burns put an approach in the water.

Scheffler finds himself on the banks of the hazard on the ninth hole with the ball above his feet right in the thick of the rough.

The ball is totally submerged here but he shows why he’s right now topping the OWGR rankings, lofting his shot up into the air and dropping it right onto the green.

Morikawa and Fowler go down by another, with Morikawa failing to halve a pressure putt on the seventh.

It’s been a dream start for Luke Donald’s side. As of right now they’re up in all four groups.

The American’s are fighting back but are not quite clicking through the front nine.

Sam Burns has just found the water on the ninth which could be a big set back for Zach Johnson’s side, while Hatton gives Rahm a chance to pitch on here and take the advantage putting his approach just right of the green.

Elsewhere, McIlroy halves on the fifth to keep their advantage in their match against Schauffele and Cantlay, while Aberg finds the green from over the lake at the 8th.

Here’s how McIlroy gave him and Fleetwood the lead…

Novak Djokovic was in action earlier this week along side Gareth Bale in the pro-am event!

The 24-time Grand Slam winner, who recently claimed victory at the US Open in New york jokingly pulled out a tennis racket on the first tee!

He was an integral part in helping Colin Montgomerie’s side claim victory against Corey Pavin’s team earlier this week, with Djokovic impressing with his driving.

He’s got a ten foot shot to tie the eighth hole – but the world No 1 makes no mistake.

He drops the ball in the cup to keep the deficit against Rahm and Hatton to just two holes.

An excellent shot on the par 3 fourth from Fleetwood sees the Merseyside man drop his ball right on the middle of the green – he’s set McIlroy up well for a great putt in here.

Meanwhile, on the par three 7th, Hovland’s just dropped his ball on the dance floor too. Europe’s approach play from under 225 yards has been excellent so far today.

There have only ever been SIX hole-in-ones in the history of the Ryder Cup and Rahm came narowly close.

He could have joined an illustrious club of names which includes, Peter Butler in 1973, Nick Faldo in 1993, Costantino Rocca and Howard Clark in 1995, and Paul Casey and Scott Verplank in 2006 at the K Club in Ireland

He nearly breaks the deadlock with a beautiful winding putt on the third hole – but it can’t work it’s way back roundto the hole.

Meanwhile, Shane Lowry is playing some stunning golf, putting an approach over the lake on the 5th to within 5 feet!

Morikawa’s set Fowler up for a good chip on here on the short par 4 fifth hole.

Meanwhile, Burns has struck his shot wayward left on six. It’s over by the river that streaks down the left side of the fairway and will be a tough shot for Scheffler to come back from here.

If you’re just joining us, bienvenido! It’s been some morning at Marco Simone with plenty of action so far. Europe have started the better of the two sides and currently lead in three of the groups – but the US Team are fighting back!

Scheffler & Burns vs Rahm & Hatton 2 up

Homa & Harman vs Hovland & Aberg 1up

Fowler & Morikawa vs Lowry & Straka 2 up

Schauffele & Cantlay vs McIlroy & Fleetwood

And they’re 2 up now, Lowry plays a brilliant tee shot on the on the par 3 putting the ball within 5 feet of the hole and Staka finishes off to add to their lead against Fowler and Morikawa.

An error on the fifth gives the Americans a chance to halve the hole, but Open Champion Brian Harman has a tough putt from around 15 feet to level – but he puts it wide!

Hovland and Aberg retain the lead!

The accuracy of Team Europe this morning has been unbelievable!

He’s just sent a lofted wedge right the way down the par 3 seventh and nearly holed out!

That’s the second time Europe have hit the flag stick this morning!

An excellent chip on from Rickie Fowler on the fourth puts him and Morikawa in a prime spot to get one back against Lowry and Straka.

He’s been in flying form this season after a couple of difficult years on the PGA Tour claiming his first win since the 2014-15 season at the Rocket Mortgage classic and its great to see him back firing again.

Even so, it seems the US Team Captain is backing his players to overcome the obstacles this course possesses.

The 47-year-old, who has a record of 8-7-2 across five Ryder Cup appearances as a player, is seemed confident this week that his team would be able to overcome the difficulties of Marco Simone, but wasn’t getting ahead of himself either, admitting it will be tricky out there especially when playing off the rough.

‘I think it’s a challenge for anybody that hits it in there,’ Johnson said during the captain’s press conference this week.

‘I mean, it is penal. It’s difficult. I feel like fairways are a premium but you could probably say that any given week.

‘Whether it’s bermuda or bent or fescue or bluegrass, you know, you’ve still got to keep that ball in the fairway, and maybe more so here. But I think it’s well-defined.

‘I think it is for the most part, with a couple blind shots but that’s Marco Simone. That’s not the setup. I think for the most part, it’s right out in front of you, which is all you can ask for in a test.

‘And I think the most important factor that I’m confident in is my guys really like it. That makes it — I mean, if you want to play it, that helps a lot.’

Following suit of his partner, Aberg Almost chips in from the rough on the fourth, with his ball coasting narrowly by the hole.

But some composed play from Homa and Harman sees them get back to level ground, with Aberg and Hovland conceding the fourth.

What a match this has been so far!

This week, the Marco Simone course will play as a par 71 stretching, to an impressive 7181 yards, a pretty long distance, but one that the players will be used to.

For context, the Torrey Pines south course, the site of the 2021 US Open stretched to a whopping 7765 yards, one of the longest tracks on the PGA Tour, while Augusta National spans to around 7510 yards.

And it will be hard to score this weekend. The course is set up with three par 5s and four par 3s, with the players being welcomed onto the front nine by a trio of par 4s.

Combining the distance, the heat and the undulating terrain and this course is set to be a real caddie killer – there are plenty of hills and blind shots out there, so staying hydrated during the long days will be key.

It’s expected to be around 30ºC today, which will inevitably have an impact on the ball with the heat helpoing the ball carry further.

The course starts with a 445 yard par 4, with the green being well-protected on the the first hole which dog legs slightly left. A good start will be needed, with players to face an enormous 506 yard par 4 on the second, one of the hardest holes out there, which challenges players with a dog leg left.

The first par 3 comes in at the fourth hole. Stretching to 188 yards, the pin placement here will be pivotal – with it set up down the left side of the green then players will have a much easier chance to score birdie or better.

A 302 yard par 4 follows to cap off the first five holes which will again present a good opportunity for those who can drive the green, but the challenge here is the body of water snaking its way along the front-left of the green.

So there are plenty of places to score as well as gain shots at the start of the course but who will take the lead after the first session?

Rahm taps in a 5-footer on the fifth hole to give Europe a 2 hole advantage in their game against Scheffler and Burns.

Meanwhile, Homa and Harman get one back against Hovland and Aberg, after the Norwegian couldn’t quite chip his ball far enough, with it catching in the thick rough on the fringe of the green.

The final group have reached the first green and it’s Cantlay putting for a birdie here, but his shot drifts just wide of the hole.

Xander will have a putt for par here and he drops the ball in.

Fleetwood, meanwhile, halves the hole with a par.

He’s almost chipped in again! And that was narrowly close! The ball has just a bit too much heat on it and it bounces directly back off the flag stick dropping just a couple of feet from the hole.

Hovland really is on fire this morning. What a start.

It’s the first par 3 of the day and Hatton has a long putt here to put his pairing 2 up. Its a long shot and he comes narrowly close, but it just drifts wide.

Scheffler meanwhile is less than seven feet away and fluffs his shot! He’s struggled with his flat stick this season, so will that come in to play this weekend?

The hole is halved with Europe 1 up through four in this match.

Right back to the first for our final pairing and Xander Schauffele has struck first, sweeping his ball down the left side of the fairway. It’s not a bad drive, but his ball falls just on the periphery of the rough.

It’s McIlroy to hit next, and he goes the other way, landing his ball just on the edge of the first cut.

And we’re in for a blockbuster finish! Both captains have placed some of their best players in the final grouping.

Olympic champion Xander Schauffele and 2021 FedEx Cup winner Patrick Cantlay have plenty of Ryder Cup pedigree between them. They were paired together twice in the Foursomes at Whistling Straits, beating Ian Poulter and McIlroy before being beating Westwood and Fitzpatrick on the Saturday.

Interestingly they went out in the final group on both occasions. But Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood, stalwarts of this competition, are a duo that you just wouldn’t want to bet against.

The FedEx Cup champion has put his team 2 up against Homa and Harman.

What a start! He drains an excellent putt from 12 feet and high fives Aberg after his excellent approach shot onto the green.

To wrap up the groups for this morning’s session, Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy will square off against Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay in an epic battle.

Between them, McIlroy and Fleetwood have 19 points at the Ryder Cup in their careers and they’ll be a tough duo to overcome today.

The Englishman notably paired up with Francesco Molinari in 2018, famously combining forces to win three points at Le Golf National, notably defeating Tiger Woods and Bryson DeChambeau in the Saturday Foursomes with a resounding 5 & 4.

And speaking on the partnership on Thursday, McIlroy said he was hoping to live up to Molinari this weekend in Rome.

McIlroy said: ‘I feel like this as excited and as ready a group as i’ve been a part of. We’re all really relaxed but we know the task at hand. It’s a really strong American team and they have a lot of tough partnerships.

‘We’re going up against one of them tomorrow in Xander and Patrick who have an incredible record.

‘But as Tommy said, how Tommy played in France in his last home Ryder Cup and the partnership he had [with Francesco Molinari] I just hope I can live up to Francesco. If I can live up to Francesco I think we’ll be just okay.’

While Fleetwood and Molinari were dubbed ‘Moliwood’ following their winning partnership at Le Golf National, McIlroy and the Englishman are not wanting to break ‘The Chain’ of European nicknames at Marco Simone. When asked what their pairing will be called this week, McIlroy responded: ‘It’s obvious isn’t it? FleetwoodMac!’

Rahm nails his birdie putt on the third hole and puts Europe 1 up in the first match.

Europe really have the momentum this morning and a couple of moments of sheer brilliance have spurred them into second gear.

The Spaniard still has some work to do over this putt, curling the ball down hill to drop it into the hole.

Meanwhile, Fleetwood and McIlroy are walking to the first tee!

I think he’s got his club selection sligthly wrong there, or the adrenaline from that amasing chip is still pumping.

He’s got a shot over a bunker from about 180-yards out, but he seems to have put too much on it, with the ball travelling into the patrons at the back of the green. It’ll be a tough chip in for Aberg to recover.

It’s been a cagey start between Scheffler & Burns and Rahm and Hatton.

Neither pairing has taken the advantage yet, with Burns sending an approach on the third hole just ahead of the bunkers on the left of the green.

This could be the time for the Europeans to take advantage, with Hatton putting his shot onto the green.

Sensational stuff from Viktor Hovland.

He’s put Europe 1 up against Homa and Brian Harman.

It’s Morikawa to hit first and he pushes his golf ball into the second cut on the right. The ball kicks up a bit but it looks pretty submerged in the thick stuff.

The same goes for Sepp Straka, who pulls his drive left and finds the rough on the opposite side of the fairway.

Here comes the next group and its Rickie Fowler and Collin Morikawa to take on Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka!

Rickie Fowler resurgence sees him come into the tournament with plenty of confidence and he’ll pair up with the ever consistent Collin Morikawa. I can see this pairing being a tough one to break down.

But Shane Lowry’s past experience at this tournament is invaluable. He dazzled at Whistling Straits in the singles and the former Open Champion will be able to offer plenty of knowledge to his partnership with Sepp Straka on his first Ryder Cup appearance.

The Austrian is equally brimming in confidence off the back of a win earlier this September at the John Deere Classic.

Unbelievable! Viktor Hovland take a bow!

That was an enormous chip from the fringe of the green. He gets his read absolutely perfect and shows why he is the in-form golfer at the moment, with his shot trickling into the hole.

A huge roar goes up from the patrons and Hovland fist bumps the air!

He gets the first point on the board for Team Europe!

A simply outrageous shot on the first from Scottie Scheffler. There’s a reason why he’s world No 1…

It’s a good second shot from the Open Champion. He places his ball in the heart of the green.

Aberg follows from the same distance and lands his ball on the green, but slightly to the right hand side. Hovland will have the longer putt in to the hole.

Luke Donald claims the Ryder Cup is the best team sporting event in the world and is lapping up the atmosphere on the first tee.

‘For me this for me is the best team sporting event in the world, I might be biased – but that’s what I think.

‘Look at the crowds, the energy, the passion, this is what the Ryder Cup is all about.

Speaking on his side’s start, Donald said: ‘Two-for-two in fairways so far. I’m feeling pretty good. My boys are ready. I’m not worried about any of my guys. They’re built for this.’

Its Homa to hit first and he follows Jon Rahm’s drive earlier sending a lovely fade down to the right side of the fairway. A great start for the duo.

Meanwhile, Hovland follows suit, playing an almost identical shot to open up the first green.

The second group is an interesting one and I’m not sure where the points will go here. Ludvig Aberg and Viktor Hovland are both currently in excellent form.

Hovland comes into the week off the back of winning the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship, while Aberg clinched his first win at the Omega European Masters after earning his spot on the PGA Tour earlier in the year.

Brian Harman and Max Homa aren’t without success this season, either. The former’s brilliance at Hoylake will stand him in good stead under the pressure of playing in Europe this week.

While Homa notably triumphed at the notoriously difficult Torrey Pines south course. Like Burns, Homa comes in with some equally impressive putting stats which will play into his favour on the greens at Marco Simone which have been set up to favour the European’s this week.

Incase you missed it, here’s Hovland’s hole-in-one from yesterday…

Rahm can’t get his shot in to secure the birdie so it’s an opening par for both sides.

Meanwhile, things are about to get underway on the first tee…

That was agonisingly close! Even Viktor Hovland walking out on the first tee, watching the shot on the big screen grimaced as the ball travelled quickly to the hole from around 20-yards out.

It lipped around the hole and was so close to dropping in!

Up next we’ve got Max Homa & Brian Harman vs Viktor Hovland & Ludvig Aberg.

Homa, Harman and Aberg will all be making their debuts at the tournament this weekend, with Aberg, 23, only winning his PGA Tour card this year!

He’s had an excellent season, notably clinching his first win on the DP World Tour at the Omega European Masters – so I’m very excited to see him in action!

Scheffler’s drive was a pretty big one, despite falling in the rough on the left side of the fairway.

He’s got a 9-iron in hand and has about 160 yards to the flag, with a great view in here.

And he nails it, landing the ball nicely on the green to give Rahm a shot for a birdie putt.

Burns is up next, and he’s in the thick stuff here – I can’t even see the tops of his shoes!

And he can’t find the green! The ball lands short on the fairway. That’s a big advantage to Europe!

A big fist bump of relief from Rahm, as he stripes a lovely fade to the right hand side of the first hole, opening up the green for his partner Hatton.

Great start for Europe, let’s see what Sam Burns can do from the rough here!

Here we go! It’s Scottie Scheffler to get us started. He gets a few ‘Oles’ for his practice swing before addressing the ball.

The pressure he must be feeling right no! He steps up to address the ball and sends his drive slightly left of the fairway, with the ball landing in the second cut.

Jon Rahm will get things going for Europe…

Both captains have deployed two strong pairings to start, in a bid to get points on the board. World No 1 Scottie Scheffler and WGC Dell Technologies Match Play winner Sam Burns will be a formidable force to stop. It’s a clever pairing from Johnson.

While Scheffler’s putting hasn’t been the greatest so far this season, his partner, Burns, is ranked 9th on the PGA Tour for strokes gained with the flat stick and is first for putts from inside seven feet.

Equally, world No 3 Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton possess a lot of fire power and experience at this event. Their brawn and brilliance combined will make them a great pairing to go out first for Europe.

It’s going to be a big match this, where do you think the points are coming from?

Here they come! Team Europe’s first pairing are entering the arena, and they look ready to play.

The pair were seen shaking hands with Tommy Fleetwood on the putting green before walking down the gangway to the first tee. They exchanged a laugh and smile on the way before they were given a rapturous welcome to the arena.

Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns come out to a much different reaction, but there are plenty of USA fans in the house here this morning with cries of ‘USA, USA’ ringing around the grand stand.

It’s a mixed reaction for the US Team captain as he steps out into the arena.

He heads over to greet Luke Donald and the pair exchange in a handshake!

Meanwhile, Robert MacIntyre, who is making his first Ryder Cup appearance this week but is not featuring in the Foursomes this morning, is patrons with a thunder clap!

… and here we are, we’re less than ten minutes away!

It’s Scottie Scheffler & Sam Burns to head out against Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton first.

It’s a huge group to go out first and will see the World No 1 go head-to-head with the World No 3.

And while we wait for the players, it’s European vice-captain Nicolas Colsaerts who’s getting the fans going here as he’s stood on the first tee.

Cries of ‘Ole Ole Ole’ ring out around the stadium, as Zach Johnson prepares to enter the arena…

Luke Donald is walking into the Coliseum on the fist hole as we speak!

An enormous roar from the crowd goes up for the Ryder Cup captain.

He walks out on his own and gives a big salute to the patrons inside the grand stand arena before heading over to greet the team.

Unable to pick stalwarts of the tournament, Lee Westwood, Sergio Garcia, Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter, Luke Donald has had to look to some younger stars of the game.

Both sides will have new faces on their teams this year and in the European ranks, young star, Ludvig Aberg – who won his PGA Tour card earlier this year – will head up a group of young players looking to win back the trophy in Rome this weekend.

He’ll be joined by Sepp Straka, who also makes his debut in the tournament after a fantastic season on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour, as well as Robert MacIntyre and Nicolai Hojgaard – also making their first appearances at the biennial event.

‘I certainly have a lot of belief in my team,’ Donald, a four-time Cup winner said earlier this week. ‘I know it’s going to be a difficult next few days. The US are very strong and we are coming off our worst defeat ever in a Ryder Cup. They have some great partnerships and have had a lot of success.

‘We have our work cut out but you have to have belief.’

Within the group there are some experienced names. Notable among them is Justin Rose who has five appearances in the tournament, winning 14 points for his team during those appearances. Shane Lowry was a huge figure in the European team last time out at Le Golf National, alongside Tommy Fleetwood and Viktor Hovland, who is perhaps the most in-form golfer on the team sheet right now, clinching the BMW Championship and the Tour Championship to win the FedEx Cup in August.

Then there comes four-time major winner Rory McIlroy and world No 2 Jon Rahm, two golfers who are set to lead Europe this week.

It’ll be a buzz of excitment and anticipation inside Luke Donald’s Team dressing room right now.

Tommy Fleetwood gave us a sneak peak inside the changing room yesterday, showcasing the Seve Ballasteros murals that align the tunnel the players will walk out from and his very own seat right inside the middle of the dressing room.

Will some Seve magic help Europe get the win this weekend?

Talking about being excited for the Ryder Cup, Team Europe’s Robert MacIntyre, who’ll make his first appearance at the tournament this weekend posted a photo online of his custom Team Europe pajamas.

The first Foursomes matchwill kick off in around 30 minutes time before we head on to the Fourballs for the afternoon’s session and there are some juicy pairings to get our teeth sunk into today.

The first match will see Scottie Scheffler and Sam Burns take on Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton. Max Homa and Brian Harman will tee off next against Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Aberg.

Rickie Fowler will pair up with Collin Morikawa against Shane Lowry and Sepp Straka.

And Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay will go head-to-head with Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood in the final duel of the morning.

Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Wyndham Clark will sit out the morning session for the US. While Justin Rose, Nicolai Hojgaard, Matt Fitzpatrick and Robert MacIntyre will not play in the morning for the Europeans.

Yesterday, Team Europe were out in practice, teeing off from the first and played nine holes while the US Team played the back nine.

Friday’s tee times are as follows (all in British Summer Time):

6:35am – Scheffler & Burns vs Rahm & Hatton

6:50am – Homa & Harman vs Hovland & Aberg

7:05am – Fowler & Morikawa vs Lowry & Straka

7:20am – Schauffele & Cantlay vs McIlroy & Fleetwood

Afternoon Fourballs (pairings to be announced)

It’s all excitement in Rome! The patrons are arriving in good numbers and Jon Rahm raises his fist to the air to salute the arriving fans.

So as it stands, Team US currently lead Europe for all-time Ryder Cup wins.

Over 43 events and 1012 matches the USA leads with 27 wins to 14.

But will that all change this week?

It’s been an early start this morning and we’re less than an hour away from the first tee times!

The stage is set and we’re ready to go!

Good morning and welcome to our coverage of the 2023 Ryder Cup!

The wait is nearly over and we’re almost ready to get started here at the Marco Simone Golf and Country Club as Team Europe are looking to take the coveted trophy back off Zach Johnson’s US Team.

The first groups are set to tee off in just over 30 minutes time so we’ll be building up to the groups going out and what’s been going on this week until then!

The course is looking immaculate, it’ll be a grueling challenge for all the players this week and as many have already said, it is set up for a wonderful spectacle of match play golf.

Narrow fairways, slow greens and some seriously unforgiving rough await the players this week and it will be very interesting to see how the world’s best golfers get on with the difficulties that this course possesses, especially in the team based formats.

Our man Mike Keegan has been exploring the winding fairways of the Marco Simone and has delivered his detailed guide of what to expect when traversing this stunning track.

Thanks to those of you who have joined us very early on Friday morning for the start of play, with the first tee time at 6:35.

Here’s the pairings for the opening foursomes matches. Some mouthwatering clashes in here…

Scheffler/Burns (US) vs Rahm/Hutton (EUR) – 6:35

Homa/Harmon (US) vs Hovland/Aberg (EUR) – 6:50

Fowler/Morikawa (US) vs Lowry/Straka (EUR) – 7:05

Schauffele/Cantlay (US) vs McIlroy/Fleetwood (EUR) – 7:20

Good morning and welcome to our coverage of the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome.

The time for talking is nearly over as the best players from Europe and the United States get ready to do battle over three days in what is one of the world’s great sporting events.

Will the US retain the trophy, or will it be Rory McIlory and Co who are celebrating come Sunday afternoon?