Jon Rahm said playing partner Nicolai Hojgaard told him to "do it for Seve" Ballesteros before he holed a remarkable eagle putt to halve their fourballs match at the Ryder Cup on Friday.

Rahm, who had already chipped in for eagle on 16, likely needed to make his effort on the 18th green to grab a half-point with American opponents Scottie Scheffler and Brooks Koepka 1-up and both in close for birdie.

He rattled it into the middle of the cup and Europe went on to take a 6.5-1.5 lead at the end of the opening day in Rome.

"I've got to give Nicolai props because over here on 18, he gave me the freedom to basically go at it, and he told me to hit a putt, try to make it," said Spaniard Rahm.

"And he said, 'What would Seve do', right, 'Do it for Seve'. I don't know if he would have quite made it like that, but I'm sure glad that it went in."

Rahm's late compatriot Ballesteros was Europe's talisman as they turned the tide by ending a 28-year wait to lift the Ryder Cup with three straight wins from 1985.

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