Viktor Hovland talks envelope rule in return after neck injury thwarted 2025 Ryder Cup run

Two weeks after being removed from the final Sunday singles session at the 2025 Ryder Cup, Viktor Hovland is back in action at the India Championship on the DP World Tour. Forced to withdraw from his match against Harris English after an MRI revealed a disc bulge in his neck, Hovland became the center of discussion around the rarely used "envelope rule."

That rule requires the United States and Europe captains -- the night before Sunday singles -- to submit the name of one player in a sealed envelope. In the case of injury or absence by an opposing team member, the enveloped player serves as the designated abstention from singles play.

"The whole situation was pretty upsetting, just the fact that I didn't get to play, and I felt really bad for Harris [English], who also didn't get to play a match, even though there was nothing wrong with him," Hovland said. "He just didn't get to play, and he was upset about that, and I feel very bad for not being able to compete. 

"It's tough. I think we're so used to in sports, that if you can't play because you're hurt, obviously that should be a loss of point. But I think, in the spirit of the Ryder Cup and the spirit of the game and the history of it -- knowing that this Ryder Cup is just a part of many, many Ryder Cups to come -- I think it's more of a gentlemen's agreement that, OK, you were hurt this time and maybe the next time there's a guy on the U.S.'s team and we're all kind of sympathetic about the person being hurt and not being able to play.

"I think there's kind of a mutual understanding that, if we were healthy, we would all go out there and play. I don't think people are using that to really finagle the system and try and squeak by."

Since the Norwegian was unable to compete on the last day at Bethpage Black, his European side and the Americans were each awarded a half point with Hovland's match against English effectively deemed a tie. Entering Sunday with a substantial 11.5 to 4.5 edge over the red, white and blue, Europe needed only two points from the 11 other matches to retain the cup.

The competition tightened as the day progressed and the U.S. mounted a furious (near-historic) comeback. Ludvig Åberg proved to be the only European to win his singles match outright as the final tally read 15 to 13 in Europe's favor. Due to the competitiveness of the score, the conversation surrounding the envelope rule only got louder.

U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley immediately stated in his post-tournament press conference he believes the rule needs to be changed. Meanwhile, European captain Luke Donald noted the rule is firmly in the captain's agreement, which has been in place since 1979. In fact, the U.S. side used it in 1991 at Kiawah Island.

"If you do change the rule and you give away a point, now there's also the angle that, OK, knowing that the other team is going to put out their best player most likely in the first few groups, they can just kind of put me out as a sacrificial lamb and take the L against their best player," Hovland continued. "So there's other ways around it, and I think -- I don't think there's any ideal way to do it, but I think that's just a better way overall to do it, even though it's just a tough situation. And at the end of the day, I think we'd all be wanting to go out there and play."

Hovland compiled a 1-1-1 record on Long Island. He was also scratched Saturday afternoon with Tyrrell Hatton taking his place in the lineup for the final four-ball session. 

The world No. 13 now turns his attention to the DP World Tour and the impending postseason on the European circuit. In his last individual outing, Hovland finished T5 at the BMW PGA Championship but admitted this week may be more a test of survival given the precarious status of his neck.

"Took about a week and a half off after the Ryder Cup and didn't really touch a club, and then was kind of running out of time a little bit to make a decision if I wanted to come here or not," Hovland said. "I played two 18-hole rounds in a row back-to-back, and my neck felt OK, so I decided to fly over here and give it a chance. 

"I think one of the big things, you don't have to hit driver out here, very much at least. That definitely helps my neck because it's definitely the driver, I think, that gives me the biggest amount of pain. Hopefully, we'll stick to the 3-iron, and the neck will be fine."