FARMINGDALE, NEW YORK | What if the half-point the Europeans received when Viktor Hovland was unable to play his Sunday singles match against Harris English had been the difference in retaining the Ryder Cup or losing it?
That possibility loomed large as the final day played out at Bethpage Black and the Europeans’ seemingly insurmountable seven-point advantage melted away.
Ultimately, the Europeans won, 15-13, earning enough points from their 11 healthy players to avoid the potential controversy that would have followed given the Hovland situation.
Under Ryder Cup rules, when a player is unable to play, the match is automatically ruled a tie. The rule was enacted in 1979 and requires both captains to put one player’s name into an envelope before the event and, should a player from the opposing team be unable to play, the player in the other team’s envelope must sit out.
Asked about the rule Sunday evening, U.S. captain Keegan Bradley didn’t hide his disagreement with it.
“It has to change,” Bradley said.
Asked to elaborate on how it might change, Bradley did not offer any specifics.
“I have a few ideas but I’m not going to tell you right now. I mean, the rule has to change. 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,” Bradley 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.”
Luke Donald
Luke Donald took the opposite approach.
“I think it’s been in place since 1971. The U.S. have used it before. I think it happened in 1991 with Steve Pate. That was a tight Ryder Cup, too, 14½-13½. It happened in 1993; Sam Torrance couldn’t play with an injured toe. The U.S. won that one,” Donald said.
“We have contracts for a reason, a captains’ agreement for a reason, for situations that occur. 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.”
Hovland has been bothered by neck issues since withdrawing from the Travelers Championship in June. He underwent an MRI scan at a local hospital Saturday evening and when he tried to warm up Sunday, Hovland declared himself unable to play due to the injury.
“There is nothing more I would like to do than be out there representing Team Europe and trying to help them win the Ryder Cup,” Hovland said in a statement. “Not being able to do so is pretty heartbreaking.”
Ron Green Jr.