Richard Mansell overcame tricky conditions to shoot a four-under-par 68 to ensure he goes into the weekend at the top of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship leaderboard.
Mansell carded the lowest score of the round to get to ten under par, helped by four birdies on the front nine as he battled through the wet and windy weather.
The Englishman now holds a two-shot lead over Sweden's Alex Noren in second, while Antoine Rozner and Niklas Norgaard Moller sit three shots behind the leader on seven under par.
Romain Langasque, who equalled the best-ever round at the Old Course at St Andrews with his opening round of 11-under-par on Thursday, endured a nightmare second day as he shot an eight-over-par 80 to fall to 19th.
Rory McIlroy was another to struggle with the conditions, with the world number two going round in 75 at Kingsbarns to drop to joint-43rd.
Scot Robert MacIntyre remains in contention after carding a second round of 70, while English pair Callum Shinkwin and Daniel Gavins are also in striking distance on five under par.
Europe on track as big guns fire early in Ryder Cup singles
Europe remained on course to regain the Ryder Cup as the United States failed to find the fast start they needed on the final day in Rome.
Needing just four points to regain the trophy, Europe captain Luke Donald unsurprisingly sent his strongest players out at the top of the singles order at Marco Simone.
Masters champion Jon Rahm took on world number one Scottie Scheffler in the first match, with Viktor Hovland facing Collin Morikawa in match two and and Justin Rose then taking on an in-form Patrick Cantlay.
Rory McIlroy, who had been sent out first in each of the last three contests, was up against Sam Burns in match four and raced into a three-up lead after seven holes.
With all 12 matches out on the course, each side led in five with the other two all square.
Rahm had made the ideal start with a birdie on the first and was two up after five, but was pegged back by Scheffler, who had won just half a point from his three matches to date but took the lead at the 11th.
Hovland swiftly moved two up on Morikawa and Tyrrell Hatton won three of the first four holes against Open champion Brian Harman before a wild tee shot on the fifth gifted Harman a hole back.
Danish rookie Nicolai Hojgaard was also two up on Xander Schauffele, but Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas had taken early leads against Ludvig Aberg and Sepp Straka respectively.
Ryder Cup live – Europe make strong start as they look to finish the job in Rome
1200 – Burns hit back against McIlroy, who had taken the third hole, by producing a fine putt to half the deficit on the next.
1150 – Tyrrell Hatton holed a great putt to move one up against Brian Harman as Europe continued to dominate, although Scheffler ended Rahm’s two-hole winning run to cut the Spaniard’s lead in half.
1140 – You could tell Matt Fitzpatrick was happy with his opening shot with the speed at which he picked up his tee and marched on. That set the tone for the Yorkshireman to win the first hole.
That left Europe leading four of the five matches, with Rahm and Hovland both two up. What a start!
1130 – A par on the first was enough for McIlroy to win the hole against Burns, putting him one up like Rahm and Viktor Hovland, but there was red on the leaderboard with Cantlay taking the lead versus Justin Rose.
1120 – McIlroy received a great ovation on the first tee and followed it with a great shot. Scheffler pegged Rahm back on the third to leave all matches tied.
1110 – Morikawa was not enjoying the tee so far today, hitting another that stops just short of the long grass. Scheffler almost levelled his match with Rahm, but his putt on the second is just short.
Europe captain Donald does not believe last night’s tension will hamper his side today, telling Sky Sports: “We are excited, today is a new day. We want to start strong.”
1100 – McIlroy walked past Cantlay and LaCava without even a glance as he put all his focus into his match against Sam Burns. Will tensions rise on the course again today?
Morikawa recovered well from the rough, finding the green on the first before missing a putt to win the hole. Cantlay, without a cap again, walks out to the first tee to boos from the crowd.
1050 – Close to hitting a spectator! Collin Morikawa could not follow the first two on the tee, firing his effort way left and into the crowd. First blood goes to Europe as Rahm sinks a brilliant 15-foot putt to win the first hole after Scheffler came up way short.
1040 – Two good tee shots from Rahm and Scheffler to settle the nerves. The crowd loved them. We are under way in Italy.
1030 – Five minutes until Masters champion Jon Rahm takes on world number one Scottie Scheffler in the first match. The Spaniard looks in the zone out there today. The atmosphere is building on the first tee.
1020 – Former Europe captain Paul McGinley believes the United States need to eclipse the ‘Miracle at Medinah” to retain the Ryder Cup. Europe famously recovered from 10-6 down heading into the singles in 2012 to pull off an unlikely victory, but Zach Johnson’s side trail by five points. “This will be unbelievable if America come anywhere close,” McGinley, who led Europe to victory at Gleneagles in 2014, told Sky Sports. “Miracles do happen and this will be bigger than the Miracle at Medinah if America come back from here. Yes they have momentum, but Europe are also stoked up.”
1010 – Luke Donald’s side will also have plenty of extra motivation after the second day’s play ended with angry scenes on the 18th green which later continued outside the clubhouse. Rory McIlroy was annoyed that Patrick Cantlay’s caddie Joe LaCava initially refused to move from his eyeline as he waved his cap over his head in celebration of Cantlay’s birdie on the last.
1000 – Welcome to the PA news agency’s live Ryder Cup blog. It is singles Sunday at Marco Simone in Rome. Europe need just four points to complete their revenge mission and regain the trophy from the USA.
United States needing a ‘miracle’ as final day of the Ryder Cup gets under way
Former European captain Paul McGinley believes the United States need to eclipse the ‘Miracle at Medinah” to retain the Ryder Cup in Rome.
Europe famously recovered from 10-6 down heading into the singles in 2012 to pull off an unlikely victory, but Zach Johnson’s side trailed by five points at Marco Simone despite a spirited fightback on Saturday afternoon.
“This will be unbelievable if America come anywhere close,” McGinley, who led Europe to victory at Gleneagles in 2014, told Sky Sports.
“Miracles do happen and this will be bigger than the Miracle at Medinah if America come back from here. Yes they have momentum, but Europe are also stoked up.”
That was a reference to the controversial end to Saturday’s play, with angry scenes on the 18th green later continuing outside the clubhouse at Marco Simone.
Rory McIlroy was annoyed that Patrick Cantlay’s caddie Joe LaCava initially refused to move from his eyeline as he waved his cap over his head in celebration of Cantlay’s birdie on the last.
McIlroy and team-mate Matt Fitzpatrick still had birdie putts of their own to halve the hole and the match, but neither was able to convert.
McIlroy was later pictured angrily gesturing towards LaCava before being shepherded into a courtesy car by Shane Lowry.
Europe captain Luke Donald vowed to give his players the right “messaging” before Sunday’s play and unsurprisingly sent out his strongest players early in the singles, with Jon Rahm first out against Scottie Scheffler.
McIlroy, who had gone out first in the last three Ryder Cups, was fourth in the line-up against Sam Burns.
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