FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — The 45th Ryder Cup came down to the wire as Europe scored just 3½ points out of a possible 12 during Sunday's singles session to hang on and win the Ryder Cup 15–13.
But one half-point was awarded to Europe without a player hitting a shot.
Europe’s Viktor Hovland was unable to play on Sunday after his lingering neck injury flared up on Saturday afternoon. With Hovland’s WD, captain Keegan Bradley by rule had to bench one of his players. That player’s name was submitted anonymously when singles lineups were submitted, and never revealed unless necessary. But thanks to that long-established “envelope rule,” Hovland's injury meant the name was revealed, and Harris English from the U.S. sat out along with Hovland.
Here’s what makes the envelope rule especially notable in the aftermath of this Ryder Cup: both Europe and the U.S. were each awarded a half-point from that vacated match.
A half-point loomed large deep into Sunday afternoon as the U.S. mounted a stunning comeback, erasing a seven-point European lead as the 11 singles matches unfolded. Shane Lowry finally clinched the Cup for Europe on the 18th hole of Match 8. Europe and the U.S. halved two more of the closing matches, resulting in the 15–13 final score. In his post-round press conference here, Bradley had a few words for the rule, and he stated them emphatically.
“The rule has to change,” Bradley said. “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.”
It’s easy to understand Bradley’s stance. Hovland’s injury forced the U.S. to sit one of its players to keep an even number of players remaining to compete in the final session. By rule the match that never happened is scored as a draw, with a half-point to each team. It did not appear that Bradley was aware of the rule before Saturday evening, and his frustration for it was palpable Sunday.
European captain Luke Donald said the rule is hardly new, and felt bad that one of his players was injured.
“We have contracts for a reason, a captains’ agreement for a reason, for situations that occur,” he said. “I want to center it back to Viktor; I would have had absolute faith in him to deliver a point today. He couldn’t play. He was gutted.”
Donald also quickly cited the envelope rule’s brief Ryder Cup history. Sunday was in fact the fourth time in Ryder Cup history the envelope rule was used. In 1979, England’s Mark James could not play due to a chest injury and Gil Morgan sat for the U.S. In 1991, Steve Pate was involved in a car accident ahead of the Ryder Cup and played in the afternoon session on Saturday. But he could not play singles, so David Gilford ended up sitting for Europe.
In 1993, Lanny Wadkins volunteered to be in the envelope, and he ended up sitting when Europe’s Sam Torrance sat with a toe injury. The U.S. went on to win that 1993 Ryder Cup. It was the last time the U.S. won the Ryder Cup overseas.
In 2027 they’ll try to end a 34-year drought. It remains to be seen if the envelope rule is revisited sometime before that competition begins.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Keegan Bradley Says Ryder Cup ‘Envelope Rule’ Needs to Change After Narrow Defeat.
