Following his withdrawal from the concluding Sunday individual match at the 2025 Ryder Cup, Viktor Hovland is participating in the India Championship on the DP World Tour. Hovland, who had to pull out of his match against Harris English following an MRI that revealed a disc bulge in his neck, became the focal point of discussions regarding the infrequently utilized “envelope rule.”
This regulation mandates that the captains of both the United States and Europe submit the name of a player in a sealed envelope the evening before the Sunday singles matches. Should a member of the opposing team be injured or unable to participate, the player named in the envelope is designated as the abstention from singles play.
“The entire situation was quite disheartening, mainly because I was unable to play, and I felt particularly sorry for Harris [English], who also missed out on playing a match, even though he was perfectly fine,” Hovland expressed. “He was simply unable to play, and he was upset about it, and I feel terrible for not being able to compete.
“It’s challenging. I believe we’re accustomed to the idea in sports that if you’re unable to play due to injury, it should naturally result in a point deduction. However, in the spirit of the Ryder Cup, the essence of the game, and its history — understanding that this Ryder Cup is merely one of many to come — I think it’s more of a gentleman’s agreement that, OK, you were injured this time, and perhaps next time, a player on the U.S. team will be similarly affected, and we’ll all feel sympathetic towards the individual who is hurt and unable to play.
“I believe there’s a shared understanding that if we were all healthy, we would all be out there competing. I don’t believe individuals are exploiting the system to gain an unfair advantage.”
Given the Norwegian’s inability to participate on the final day at Bethpage Black, his European team and the Americans were each awarded a half point, effectively deeming Hovland’s match against English a tie. Entering Sunday with a significant 11.5 to 4.5 advantage over the American team, Europe required only two points from the remaining 11 matches to secure the cup.
As the day unfolded, the competition intensified, with the U.S. staging a remarkable (almost unprecedented) comeback. Ludvig Åberg was the sole European player to secure an outright victory in his singles match, ultimately resulting in a final score of 15 to 13 in favor of Europe. The competitiveness of the score amplified the discussion surrounding the envelope rule.
Following the tournament, U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley promptly stated during his press conference that he believes the rule should be revised. In contrast, European captain Luke Donald pointed out that the rule is firmly established in the captain’s agreement, which has been in effect since 1979. The U.S. team actually utilized it in 1991 at Kiawah Island.
“If you proceed to alter the rule and concede a point, there’s also the consideration that, OK, knowing that the opposing team is likely to field their strongest player in the initial groups, they could simply designate me as a sacrificial lamb and accept the loss against their best player,” Hovland elaborated. “So, there are alternative approaches, and I don’t believe there’s an ideal solution, but I believe this is a more suitable approach overall, despite the difficult circumstances. Ultimately, I believe we’d all prefer to be out there competing.”
Hovland achieved a record of 1-1-1 on Long Island. He was also withdrawn from the Saturday afternoon session, with Tyrrell Hatton taking his place in the lineup for the final four-ball session.
The world No. 13 is now shifting his focus to the DP World Tour and the upcoming postseason on the European circuit. In his most recent individual appearance, Hovland secured a T5 finish at the BMW PGA Championship but acknowledged that this week might primarily be a test of endurance, given the uncertain condition of his neck.
“I took about a week and a half off after the Ryder Cup and didn’t really touch a club, and then was kind of running out of time a little bit to make a decision if I wanted to come here or not,” Hovland said. “I played two 18-hole rounds in a row back-to-back, and my neck felt OK, so I decided to fly over here and give it a chance.
“I think one of the big things, you don’t have to hit driver out here, very much at least. That definitely helps my neck because it’s definitely the driver, I think, that gives me the biggest amount of pain. Hopefully, we’ll stick to the 3-iron, and the neck will be fine.”
