Viktor Hovland recounts ‘upsetting’ Ryder Cup injury saga

“You know, the whole situation was pretty upsetting, just the fact that I didn’t get to play,” Hovland said when asked about the injury.” And I felt really bad for Harris [English], who also didn’t get to play a match, even though, you know, there was nothing wrong with him. He just didn’t get to play, and he was upset about that. And I feel very bad for not being able to compete.”

The Ryder Cup’s “Man in the Envelope” rule became controversial after the matches. Harris English was taken out of Sunday singles, and the point was split between Europe and the US. Hovland spoke on changing the rule, which American captain Keegan Bradley brought up in the post-round press conference.

Hovland continued, “I think it’s more a gentleman’s agreement that, okay, you were hurt this time, and maybe next time there’s a guy on the U.S’s team, and we’re all sympathetic about the person being hurt and not being able to play. I think there’s kind of a mutual understanding that if we were healthy, we would all go out and play. I don’t think people are using that to really finagle the system and trying to squeak by.”

“And also to the other point, if you do change the rule and you give away a point, now there’s also an angle that, knowing the other team is going to put out their best player most likely in the first few groups, they can just put me out as a sacrificial lamb and take the L against their best player. So there’s other ways around it.”