With Hovlund battling injury, what is Ryder Cup envelope rule?

The rarely used envelope rule may be applied on Sunday’s Ryder Cup final day at Bethpage Black in New York due to Viktor Hovland’s neck injury.

Following Hovland’s victory over Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley in the Saturday morning foursomes, the issue became public.

The Norwegian made up Tyrrell Hatton to take Matt Fitzpatrick in the afternoon fourballs, but he withdrew.

On Saturday night, he had an MRI to assess the extent of the problem.

For the past two months, I’ve had some issues with a neck injury intermittently, according to Hovland.

“I’m going to get some treatment, and I’ll probably be okay for the singles.”

At 19:03 BST, Hovland will face Harris English in the final singles match, but if he is unable to play, the envelope rule will apply.

The envelope rule: what is it?

A sealed envelope with the name of one player is also provided when the two captains submit their Sunday singles lineup.

If a rival player’s withdrawal from the first singles match was more than 30 minutes prior to the start of the match was due to illness or an injury, the player named in the envelope would miss the singles.

Each side would receive half a point because the two players would be regarded as a pair.

A player’s match is forfeited if they withdraw less than 30 minutes before the first singles match begins.

A team captain must immediately notify the opposing captain and chief referee of any potential illness or injury to one of his players.

The names on the envelopes are only used names that are revealed.

In the event that a player had to withdraw after testing positive for Covid-19, an additional envelope was used at the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straights.

What would the actual application of the rule be?

What happens after Hovland is withdrawn depends on the recipient’s name in the envelope.

And whoever is named would not be able to win a singles match.

If Hovland’s scheduled opponent, English, were to enter the envelope, the match would be straightforward and tiebreaker.

Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley with the Ryder Cup.Getty Images

Has the envelope rule previously been applied?

Since its introduction in 1979, the envelope rule has only been used twice to include players from all over Europe.

American Steve Pate was hurt in a car crash on the day before the event in 1991. Although he was able to play on Saturday, he was deemed unable to compete in the Sunday singles.

As the US won 1412-4312, English rookie David Gilford was the one who missed out on the Europe envelope when the US opened it.

Two years later, a toe infection prevented Europe’s Sam Torrance from playing on Sunday.

Surprise player: American Lanny Wadkins, who won 2112 points in eight Ryder Cups, was eliminated. Later, it became apparent that he had agreed to step down in order to prevent a more inexperienced player from having the opportunity to play. That Ryder Cup was won by the US 15-13.

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With Hovland battling injury, what is Ryder Cup envelope rule?

The rarely used envelope rule may be applied on Sunday’s Ryder Cup final day at Bethpage Black in New York due to Viktor Hovland’s neck injury.

Following Hovland’s victory over Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley in the Saturday morning foursomes, the issue became public.

The Norwegian made up Tyrrell Hatton to take Matt Fitzpatrick in the afternoon fourballs, but he withdrew.

On Saturday night, he had an MRI to assess the extent of the problem.

For the past two months, I’ve had some issues with a neck injury intermittently, according to Hovland.

“I’m going to get some treatment, and I’ll probably be okay for the singles.”

At 19:03 BST, Hovland will face Harris English in the final singles match, but if he is unable to play, the envelope rule will apply.

The envelope rule: what is it?

A sealed envelope with the name of one player is also provided when the two captains submit their Sunday singles lineup.

If a rival player’s withdrawal from the first singles match was more than 30 minutes prior to the start of the match was due to illness or an injury, the player named in the envelope would miss the singles.

Each side would receive half a point because the two players would be regarded as a pair.

A player’s match is forfeited if they withdraw less than 30 minutes before the first singles match begins.

A team captain must immediately notify the opposing captain and chief referee of any potential illness or injury to one of his players.

The names on the envelopes are only used names that are revealed.

In the event that a player had to withdraw after testing positive for Covid-19, an additional envelope was used at the 2021 Ryder Cup at Whistling Straights.

What would the actual application of the rule be?

What happens after Hovland is withdrawn depends on the recipient’s name in the envelope.

And whoever is named would not be able to win a singles match.

If Hovland’s scheduled opponent, English, were to enter the envelope, the match would be straightforward and tiebreaker.

Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley with the Ryder Cup.Getty Images

Has the envelope rule previously been applied?

Since its introduction in 1979, the envelope rule has only been used twice to include players from all over Europe.

American Steve Pate was hurt in a car crash on the day before the event in 1991. Although he was able to play on Saturday, he was deemed unable to compete in the Sunday singles.

As the US won 1412-4312, English rookie David Gilford was the one who missed out on the Europe envelope when the US opened it.

Two years later, a toe infection prevented Europe’s Sam Torrance from playing on Sunday.

Surprise player: American Lanny Wadkins, who won 2112 points in eight Ryder Cups, was eliminated. Later, it became apparent that he had agreed to step down in order to prevent a more inexperienced player from having the opportunity to play. That Ryder Cup was won by the US 15-13.

Ask Me Anything: What Is It?

A service called Ask Me Anything is dedicated to responding to your inquiries.

We want to reward your time by educating you on topics you may not otherwise understand.

The team will be able to connect you with a network of contacts, including our experts and experts, to provide you with all the information you require.

We’ll respond to your inquiries right in the BBC Sport newsroom and visit some of the world’s biggest sporting events from the backstage.

More inquiries answered…

Contact us.

related subjects

  • Golf

Crowd crush at political rally in southern India kills 39 people

Hundreds of thousands evacuate as Vietnam braces for Typhoon Bualoi

As Typhoon Bualoi’s strengthening approach forces the government to shut down several airports, Vietnam has mobilized around 100 000 military personnel to assist 250 000 people in evacuating.

According to the meteorology agency, Bualoi, the 10th typhoon to hit Vietnam this year, is currently at sea, generating winds of 130 km/h (80 mph) and is expected to make landfall later on Sunday.

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“This storm moves quickly, moving at nearly twice the rate that it does,” with a strong impact and a wide area of impact. The agency claimed that it is capable of causing multiple natural disasters at once, including coastal flooding, flash floods, heavy rain, and powerful winds.

According to the government newspaper Viet Nam News, Prime Minister Pham Minh Chinh has also demanded the country’s waters’ “highest level of readiness” as Bualoi entered.

Three Ho Chi Minh fishermen have vanished before the landfall, according to Viet Nam News, after one vessel sank and another was “disabled” by large waves off the coast of Quang Tri province. Eight others were saved.

According to the report, the two vessels were spotted stranded about 1.5 kilometers (1 mile) from the Cua Viet Channel’s mouth.

More than 210, 000 residents of Da Nang, the country’s largest city, are being evacuated, according to state media, while more than 32, 000 Hue residents who live close to coastal areas are also expected to relocate to safer areas.

According to the AFP news agency, more than 15, 000 residents of Ha Tinh, a major steel production hub, are scheduled to leave for temporary accommodations in schools and medical facilities, according to authorities.

According to the VN Express news website, the city government mobilized more than 200 people using trucks, sacks, sand, bamboo stakes, and stone to protect the coastline.

Four domestic airports were reported to be closed, and all fishing vessels in the typhoon’s path were rerouted to harbor.

Additionally, it was required that residents of coastal regions secure their vessels.

“I’m a little anxious, but I’m still optimistic that things will turn out fine in the aftermath.” After the most recent Typhoon Kajiki, we were all in complete safety. Nguyen Cuong, a resident of Ha Tinh City, told AFP: “I hope this one will be the same or less severe.”

The Philippines was stricken by mudslides and flooding on Friday when Bualoi struck the country. 10 people have been killed, according to the most recent report from the Philippine media, and 10 are still missing.

According to scientists, as the world warms, the effects of climate change are getting stronger.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development estimates that in Vietnam, more than 100 people died or disappeared in the first seven months of 2025.

A tourist boat capsized in Vietnam’s Ha Long Bay in July, causing the sudden thunderstorm to kill at least 37 people and leave five others missing.