Viktor Hovland Withdraws From Ryder Cup Singles, 'Envelope' Eliminates U.S. Player

Due to Hovland's neck injury, the Sunday singles will now have 11 matches. Europe needs just two points to retain the Ryder Cup.

Viktor Hovland withdrew from his Ryder Cup Sunday singles match. / Mike Egerton/Getty Images

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — The “envelope” has become a factor at the 2025 Ryder Cup.

Viktor Hovland of Team Europe was announced as a scratch from his singles match Sunday with a neck injury, and due to an unusual wrinkle in Ryder Cup rules, U.S. player Harris English will also sit out the final session from Bethpage Black.

By rule, each team will earn a half-point. There will be 11 singles matches instead of 12, meaning the score is now Europe 12, USA 5. Europe needs 14 points—just two more—to retain the Ryder Cup, having won it two years ago in Rome.

English was the U.S. player named in the envelope. Each team submits one player with its singles lineup on Saturday night in an envelope, which comes into play if a player on the opposing team is injured or ill going into Sunday singles.

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“It’s a strange rule but we have to go with what the rules say,” U.S. captain Keegan Bradley said Sunday as singles matches got under way.

Hovland was scheduled to play in Saturday afternoon four-balls but was scratched due to the injury, and Tyrrell Hatton stepped in to play with Matt Fitzpatrick. They won 1 up, completing a fourth straight session victory for the Europeans.

Hovland and English were scheduled to play each other in the final singles match of the day at Bethpage Black; now the final match will be Sam Burns vs. Robert MacIntyre.

The envelope has been used just three other times in Ryder Cup history, the last more than 30 years ago.

In 1979, England’s Mark James could not play due to a chest injury. The American who sat was Gil Morgan. In 1991, Steve Pate had been involved in a car accident leading up to the Ryder Cup and played in the afternoon session on Saturday. But he was deemed unfit for singles. Thus, David Gilford ended up sitting for the Europeans.

In 1993—the last time it happened—Lanny Wadkins actually volunteered, having captain Tom Watson put his name in the envelope.

“I had played three times,” Wadkins said. “I was a captain’s pick. And so I was fine with it. Then the lineup comes out and I’m supposed to play Seve (Ballesteros). I was 4-0 against him over the years and I really wanted to make it 5-0.

“Then they tell us (Sam) Torrance can’t go. He had septic toe or something like that, a foot injury. And he couldn’t play. So Jim Gallagher got moved into that spot.’’

That U.S. victory was the last time the Americans won the Ryder Cup overseas.

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