FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Following his team’s 15-13 loss to the Europeans in the 45th Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black on Sunday, U.S. captain Keegan Bradley said the event’s longstanding envelope rule involving injured players should change.
But Luke Donald, who became only the second European captain to win back-to-back Ryder Cups, said the rule is there to protect players and should remain in place.
The substitution rule in the captains’ agreement requires each team to submit the name of one player Saturday night in a sealed envelope who wouldn’t play in the case of an injury to a golfer on the opposing team.
It was invoked for only the fourth time Sunday when Norway’s Viktor Hovland had to withdraw from singles because of a neck injury.
“The rule is the rule, and it’s been in place for a long time,” Donald said. “We have contracts for a reason, a captains’ agreement for a reason, for situations that occur.”
Hovland was scheduled to play Harris English in the anchor singles match. English happened to be the player that Bradley submitted in his sealed envelope, so he had to watch Sunday’s action.
“I would have had absolute faith in him to deliver a point today,” Donald said of Hovland. “He couldn’t play. He was gutted.”
The teams halved their match, giving the Europeans a 12-5 lead going into the final session.
Bradley said the rule “has to change” but wouldn’t specify how he would alter it. The obvious way to do it would be to have the injured golfer’s team forfeit a full point, instead of a half-point.
“I have a few ideas, but I’m not going to tell you right now,” Bradley said. “I mean, the rule has to change. I think it’s obvious to everybody in the sports world, in this room. Nothing against Viktor, but that rule needs to change by the next Ryder Cup.”
Donald noted that the U.S. used the controversial rule when it captured the 1991 Ryder Cup 14.5-13.5 at Kiawah Island Golf Resort in South Carolina. Steve Pate was injured in a car accident the night before the event started, and his bruised ribs prevented him from playing in singles. If the Americans had been forced to forfeit a full point, the Europeans would have retained that Ryder Cup with a score of 14-14.
Scotland’s Sam Torrance also withdrew from his singles match in the 1993 Ryder Cup with an infected toe. Lanny Wadkins volunteered to sit out for the Americans. The U.S. team won 15-13 at The Belfry in England to keep the Ryder Cup, the last time it won in Europe.
Hovland, who withdrew from his four-ball match Saturday, had an MRI at a New York hospital Saturday night. He woke up Sunday unable to move his neck. Ryder Cup officials said Hovland tried to warm up at Bethpage Black on Sunday but had limited movement.
“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 rooting them on.”
Hovland, who said he has been dealing with neck pain for the past couple of months, started experiencing pain during his Saturday morning foursomes (alternate-shot) match. He received medication and physical therapy on the course, but the pain didn’t go away.
“An MRI was arranged following liaison between Team Europe and PGA of America on-site medical team, which confirmed a flare up of a previous injury — a disk bulge in his neck by a medical imaging specialist,” Dr. Andrew Murray, Ryder Cup Europe’s chief medical officer, said in a statement. “This morning, Viktor received ongoing treatment but unfortunately he is not able to rotate or flex his neck to one side making playing the singles impossible.”