Ryder Cup’s rarely used ‘envelope rule’ comes into play

A rule that has rarely been used in Ryder Cup history came into play before the start of singles matches on Sunday, as Viktor Hovland withdrew from the event due to an injury.

Hovland did not take part in the afternoon four-ball matches at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, N.Y., on Saturday because of a neck injury. He had said he was going to receive treatment in hopes of being able to play in singles matches on Sunday, but he ended up having to withdraw.

Hovland’s inability to play led to the “envelope rule” being utilized. The rule, which was created in 1979, requires the captain of both Team USA and Team Europe to designate one golfer as the player who will sit out if a player on the opposing team is unable to play in singles matches due to injury. The designated player’s name is placed inside a sealed envelope in advance, that way the team has to commit to that player and cannot make a switch for strategic purposes.

The sealed anonymous envelope also saves the designated player the embarrassment of essentially being ranked as the worst player on his respective team. That player this year was Harris English for the U.S. The match between Hovland and English is treated as a tie, which means each team is awarded a half-point.