Viktor Hovland admits the circumstances which led to him missing the final day of Europe’s Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage Black, and US player Harris English being withdrawn due to the ‘envelope rule’, were “pretty upsetting.”
A neck injury sustained during Saturday’s foursomes in New York led to Hovland missing that afternoon’s fourballs in New York and ultimately the Sunday singles, too.
Ryder Cup rules stipulate that the opposing team must nominate a player to sit out the singles in the event of an injury and the unfortunate golfer on this occasion was English, whose name had been put in an envelope by US captain Keegan Bradley.
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Hovland holed a crucial putt to secure Europe a foursomes session at the Ryder Cup – but did his celebration cause his injury?
Hovland and English subsequently took a half-point each.
The Norwegian said ahead of his return to action at the DP World India Championship in Delhi from Thursday, live on Sky Sports: “The whole situation was pretty upsetting, just the fact that I didn’t get to play and that I felt really bad for Harris.
“He didn’t get to play, and he was upset about that, so I feel very bad for not being able to compete. It’s tough.”
‘I don’t think there’s any ideal way to do it’
Speaking after USA’s 15-13 defeat to Europe, Bradley said the ‘envelope rule’, which was first introduced in 1979 but has only been required three times, “must change”.
In the Solheim Cup – the women’s equivalent of the Ryder Cup – there is no such rule with the opposition awarded a full point if a player is unable to compete.
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Ryder Cup captains Keegan Bradley and Luke Donald have their say on the ‘envelope rule’ which ruled Hovland and Harris English out of the Sunday singles
Hovland said on Tuesday: “I think it’s a gentlemen’s agreement that ‘okay, you were hurt this time and maybe the next time it’s a guy on the US team and we’re all sympathetic about the person being hurt and not being able to play’.
“I think there’s a mutual understanding that if we were healthy we would all go out and play. I don’t think people are using that to finagle the system and try and squeak by.
“I don’t think there’s any ideal way to do it. I think that’s just a better way overall to do it, even though it’s a tough situation.”
Hovland hopes to protect his neck by using his driver sparingly at the DP World India Championship, live on Sky Sports
On his fitness ahead of this week’s event in India, Hovland added: “I took about a week and a half off after the Ryder Cup and didn’t really touch a club.
“I was running out of time to make a decision if I wanted to come. I played two 18-hole rounds back-to-back, and my neck felt okay, so I decided to give it a chance.
“One of the big things is you don’t have to hit driver here, not very much at least. That helps my neck because it’s the driver that gives me the biggest amount of pain.”
Watch the DP World India Championship live on Sky Sports from Thursday to Sunday. Coverage of day one begins at 7.30am on Sky Sports Golf and Sky Sports Main Event. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and more golf contract-free with NOW.