Viktor Hovland isn’t playing on Saturday afternoon. So ‘the envelope’ could be in play on Sunday.
The envelope? That’s the Ryder Cup protocol should someone not be able to play Sunday singles due to injury. Instead of a team ceding the point, the sides agreed that each captain, ahead of the event, would select a player to sit out — and that player’s name would be placed in an envelope only to be unsealed in the case of emergency.
That rule could now be invoked. Hovland had been announced to play Saturday afternoon four-ball competition for the Europeans, then was dropped (and replaced by Tyrrell Hatton) because of a neck injury — and there was at least some question of whether Hovland could play Sunday.
The thought was raised on the NBC broadcast by analyst Paul McGinley, who is also working in an advisory role for Team Europe.
“Yeah, the dreaded envelope may have to come into play,” McGinley said on the broadcast.
“Hopefully that’s not going to be the case. We got a great team of physios with us. They were with us on our practice trip as well and well versed on all the players, a lot of trust in them, so they’ll be working their magic this afternoon.”
Saturday morning, Hovland and partner Robert MacIntyre defeated Americans Scottie Scheffler and Russell Henley, 1 up, in a foursomes match. Afterward, Hovland told reporters that he’s had issues with his neck for the past two months, and that he took painkillers on the 7th hole on Saturday and received physio treatment on the 10th hole. He said he then hit shots on the range after the match, and he felt he couldn’t play on Saturday afternoon.
“I didn’t want to risk it for the match in case it got worse and I couldn’t continue,” Hovland said, “especially in four-balls when you are hitting every shot. I had to pull out of the Travelers Championship earlier this year because of the same issue. I played two holes and then I had to pull out, so I didn’t want to do that. I’ve been struggling with it a little bit since then. Not as bad, but similar over the last few months.
“I’m going to get some treatment this afternoon and tonight and hopefully I will be ok for the singles tomorrow.”
Twice, the ‘envelope’ has been in play.
In 1991, American Steve Pate suffered bruised ribs in a car accident a few days ahead of the event. He sat until Saturday afternoon, but reaggravated the injury, and the call was made he couldn’t go on Sunday — and David Gilford’s name was pulled from the envelope.
Two years later, a European was hurt. Sam Torrance was dealing with an infected toe, and he needed to sit on Sunday — but this time, American Lanny Wadkins volunteered to sit, and the envelope was never opened.
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