Rory McIlroy to face Sam Burns and Justin Rose takes on Patrick Cantlay, whose dramatic fourballs victory sparked heated arguments on day two; Watch the Sunday singles live from 9am on Sky Sports Golf ahead of the first match at 10.35am
Sunday 1 October 2023 10:36, UK
Masters champion Jon Rahm will lead out Team Europe in the Sunday singles as he faces world No 1 Scottie Scheffler in the opening match, while Rory McIlroy plays Sam Burns on the final day in Rome.
Rahm is unbeaten in his three matches so far, winning two and ending tied in the other, while Scheffler is looking to bounce back from being reduced to tears after a 9&7 loss - the biggest in Ryder Cup history - during the Friday foursomes.
It's the first time since 2014 that McIlroy won't go out in the opening match, with the four-time major winner instead playing Burns in the fourth match out at 11.11am BST, while Viktor Hovland - who inflicted Scheffler's humiliating loss on Friday morning takes on two-time major champion Collin Morikawa.
Europe take a 10.5-5.5 lead into the singles at Marco Simone GC and require four more points to regain the trophy, while Team USA need to overturn the biggest final-day comeback in Ryder Cup history if they're to end their 30-year drought on away soil.
Patrick Cantlay, whose caddie was embroiled in a heated dispute with McIlroy on the 18th green and in the car park after their dramatic final-hole fourballs win, plays Justin Rose in the third match of the day.
Matt Fitzpatrick faces Max Homa and Tyrrell Hatton takes on Brian Harman, with rookie Ludvig Åberg playing Brooks Koepka and Sepp Straka taking on Justin Thomas.
Nicolai Hojgaard is up against Xander Schauffele, who opened for USA on the final day of their record-breaking win at Whistling Straits in 2021, while Shane Lowry comes up against Jordan Spieth and Tommy Fleetwood has been drawn alongside Rickie Fowler.
The final match of the day sees Scotland's Robert MacIntyre take on US Open champion Wyndham Clark, with Europe remaining in pole position to claim a seventh consecutive home victory in the biennial contest.
Sunday singles (All times BST)
1035 Jon Rahm (Esp) vs Scottie Scheffler
1047 Viktor Hovland (Nor) vs Collin Morikawa
1059 Justin Rose (Eng) vs Patrick Cantlay
1111 Rory McIlroy (NIrl) vs Sam Burns
1123 Matt Fitzpatrick (Eng) vs Max Homa
1135 Tyrrell Hatton (Eng) vs Brian Harman
1147 Ludvig Åberg (Swe) vs Brooks Koepka
1159 Sepp Straka (Aut) vs Justin Thomas
1211 Nicolai Hojgaard (Den) vs Xander Schauffele
1223 Shane Lowry (Irl) vs Jordan Spieth
1235 Tommy Fleetwood (Eng) vs Rickie Fowler
1247 Robert MacIntyre (Sco) vs Wyndham Clark
The biggest final-day comeback at a Ryder Cup is four points, with Team USA overturning a 10-6 deficit at Brookline in 1999 and Europe fighting back from the same scoreline to win the 'Miracle at Medinah' in 2012, meaning American would need to produce a historic Sunday to retain or regain the trophy.
Europe captain Luke Donald: "Listen, we are in a great position, five points ahead going into the singles at home. I like where we are.
"I like the feelings in the locker room. Patrick [Cantlay] obviously made some great putts and flipped that match at the end but, to be honest, we've had a lot of momentum going our way, so we are in a good position."
USA captain Zach Johnson: "A tall task [to win], but a task that these guys welcome and are built for. So, I can't wait for tomorrow. We've got 12 guys; we've got 12 points [to play for]. I believe every guy on my team can win a point."
Dame Laura Davies has had her say on how she thinks Singles Sunday will pan out, giving her vote of confidence to Donald and his team.
"There's a little bit of jeopardy that we might not win it and go home disappointed. But, if you're asking me, I think we win by the seventh or eighth match" she said.
A veteran of 12 Solheim Cup contests as a player, she also offered some insight on how Team Europe might approach the singles.
"I think the calming bit would've been when they were together as a team. Now they're on their own, I think he'll [Donald] be saying 'get out there and bring your point home, don't worry about the scoreboard'.
"I would think he would want his team to be really up for a fight because - make no mistake - the Americans have got a little bit of a chance."
The Americans' afternoon rally on Saturday was in no small part down to the performance of Cantlay.
Davies said: "What Cantlay did those last three holes... obviously he made the big putt. The Europeans had two big chances after him, but we couldn't convert.
"So, we could've been seven ahead, we're only five ahead - that just puts a little bit of doubt in your mind. Cantlay's given them a chance."
Watch the Ryder Cup exclusively live this week on Sky Sports! Live coverage of the singles begins on Sunday from 9am, ahead of the first tee time at 10.35am. Stream the Ryder Cup and more for £21 a month for six months with NOW.
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