[PHOTO: Carl Recine]
Viktor Hovland has withdrawn from his Sunday singles match at the Ryder Cup, triggering a little-known and rarely used rule.
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Hovland was originally scheduled to play in Saturday’s afternoon session at Bethpage Black, but was replaced by Tyrrell Hatton after experiencing recurring neck pain from an issue he’s been dealing with since June. According to European team officials, Hovland went to a local New York hospital for an MRI scan and woke on Sunday unable to move his neck.
Hovland attempted to warm up at Bethpage, yet was still hampered by limited movement. The Norwegian informed captain Luke Donald and the European team that he would be unable to play his match against Harris English. “There is nothing more I would like to do than be out there representing Team Europe and trying to help them win the Ryder Cup today,” Hovland said in a statement. “Not being able to do so is pretty heartbreaking. I will be backing my team as hard as I can and [cheering] them on.”
However, the match was not conceded to the Americans. Instead, the “envelope rule” was invoked.
Each captain submits a sealed envelope with a player’s name to be used if an opponent’s player is unable to compete in Sunday’s singles matches due to illness or injury. If such a withdrawal occurs, the player in the opposing captain’s envelope also sits out, and that specific match is considered a half-point draw for both teams, ensuring the sides remain evenly matched. The envelope rule was first added in 1979 when the Ryder Cup expanded to using players from all of Europe. It was first used in 1991 after Steve Pate was too sore to play that Sunday after being involved in a car accident earlier in the week. David Gilford was chosen to sit out for Europe. The rule means that English, who lost both of his foursomes matches, will sit out for the Americans. The United States was already facing a Herculean task, needing to score 10 points out of 12 matches to win. With the ruling, the Americans now need 9.5 points out of 11, making their task all but impossible.
