Team Europe are in prime position to regain the Ryder Cup after maintaining their overnight five-point advantage despite the U.S. Team winning the afternoon four-balls session on another compelling day's play in Rome.
The hosts, who led 6½ - 1½ overnight, moved to 10½ - 5½ and need to win four out of the 12 points on offer on the final day at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club to claim the trophy.
The visitors need to mount the biggest final-day comeback in the event’s history, surpassing four points, achieved by the U.S. at Brookline in 1999 and Europe in 2012 at Medinah.
If Europe do complete victory on Sunday, they will maintain their 30-year unbeaten record on home soil.
The U.S. Team has never trailed entering singles on European soil and come back to win the Ryder Cup.
After dominating the morning alternate foursomes, winning 3-1 to extend their lead to seven points, Europe faced resistance in the afternoon as the U.S. Team won the opening two four-balls of the penultimate session.
Despite a late rally from the Scandinavian pair of Hovland and Åberg, Collin Morikawa and Sam Burns teamed up for the first time this week to win 4&3 and deliver just the second point of the week for the U.S. Team.
A third soon followed when Homa and Harman won their second match of the day after a fine front nine in which they hit the turn 4UP helped them to a 2&1 win over Fleetwood and Nicolai Højgaard.
After an even start in the third match of the afternoon session between Justin Rose and Robert MacIntyre against Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth, the European pair recorded four birdies in a six-hole stretch from the ninth before Rose sealed a 3&2 victory with a par on the driveable 16th.
"Today is everything I've dreamed of," he said. "I worked hard for it. Yesterday felt like I let Justin down a little bit but he stood up to the challenge and today he was brilliant again and thankfully I helped him out."
But, in the anchor match, Patrick Cantlay won the final two holes with birdies to seal a 1UP win alongside Wyndham Clark over McIlroy and Matt Fitzpatrick, who were never behind until the the American gave hope to Johnson's men by holing from 43 feet on the final green in the setting sun.
Reflecting on his strong finish, Cantlay said: "It was pretty subdued all day. We weren't leading until the last hole. The crowd was on me all day, I just used it as fuel and hopefully we can build a little bit off this small bit of momentum we've got going."
How the morning foursomes played out
Europe won three of the morning foursomes to maintain their overnight momentum after a historic opening day in which they won the first session 4-0 for the first time.
Viktor Hovland and Ludvig Åberg recorded a stunning 9&7 victory over Brooks Koepka and Scottie Scheffler, who was left visibly emotional.
But there were also wins for Jon Rahm and Tyrrell Hatton along with Rory McIlroy and Tommy Fleetwood as both partnerships continued to enjoy fine weeks.
Max Homa and Brian Harman combined to give Zach Johnson's side their first full point of the three-day contest with a 4&2 win.
Saturday's four-balls results
| Team Europe | U.S. Team | Result |
|---|---|---|
| V.Hovland/L.Åberg | S.Burns/C.Morikawa | U.S. Team won 4&3 |
| T.Fleetwood/N.Højgaard | M.Homa/B.Harman | U.S. Team won 2&1 |
| J.Rose/R.MacIntyre | J.Thomas/J.Spieth | Team Europe won 3&2 |
| M.Fitzpatrick/R.McIlroy | P.Cantlay/W.Clark | U.S. Team won 1 UP |
