Viktor Hovland admits the circumstances which led to him lacking the ultimate day of Europe’s Ryder Cup victory at Bethpage Black, and US participant Harris English being withdrawn as a result of ‘envelope rule’, had been “pretty upsetting.”
A neck harm sustained throughout Saturday’s foursomes in New York led to Hovland lacking that afternoon’s fourballs in New York and finally the Sunday singles, too.
Ryder Cup guidelines stipulate that the opposing crew should nominate a participant to sit down out the singles within the occasion of an harm and the unlucky golfer on this event was English, whose identify had been put in an envelope by US captain Keegan Bradley.
Hovland and English subsequently took a half-point every.
The Norwegian mentioned forward of his return to motion on the DP World India Championship in Delhi from Thursday, reside on Sky Sports activities: “The entire scenario was fairly upsetting, simply the truth that I did not get to play and that I felt actually unhealthy 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 do not assume there’s any superb technique to do it’
Talking after USA’s 15-13 defeat to Europe, Bradley mentioned the ‘envelope rule’, which was first launched in 1979 however has solely been required 3 times, “must change”.
Within the Solheim Cup – the ladies’s equal of the Ryder Cup – there isn’t a such rule with the opposition awarded a full level if a participant is unable to compete.
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Ryder Cup captains Keegan Bradley and Luke Donald have their say on the ‘envelope rule’ which dominated Hovland and Harris English out of the Sunday singles
Hovland mentioned 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 feel there is a mutual understanding that if we had been wholesome we’d all exit and play. I do not assume persons are utilizing that to finagle the system and attempt to 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 guard his neck by utilizing his driver sparingly on the DP World India Championship, reside on Sky Sports activities
On his health forward of this week’s occasion 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 used to be working out of time to decide if I wished to come back. I performed two 18-hole rounds back-to-back, and my neck felt okay, so I made a decision to present it an opportunity.
“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 reside on Sky Sports activities from Thursday to Sunday. Protection of day one begins at 7.30am on Sky Sports activities Golf and Sky Sports activities Foremost Occasion. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and extra golf contract-free with NOW.
