Hovland Out with Bulging Disc; Envelope Rule Halves Match

Viktor Hovland was ruled out of the Ryder Cup singles after an on-site MRI confirmed a bulging disc and he woke Sunday unable to rotate his neck; Europe called it a flare-up of a previous problem and Hovland said it was heartbreaking not to play. His withdrawal activated the Ryder Cup’s envelope rule, and U.S. captain Keegan Bradley had written Harris English in his sealed envelope, so the scheduled anchor match was declared halved and both sides received 0.5 points. The administrative half moved Europe to a 12–5 lead before any singles were played, leaving Europe needing two points to retain the Cup (14.5 for an outright win). Captains and medical staff coordinated the MRI and treatment on site and discussed the difficult fitness and envelope decisions. The envelope rule is rarely used and remains controversial because it awards a point without play.