United States Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley isn’t a fan of the event’s envelope rule after it resulted in the U.S. losing a half-point during Sunday’s singles action.
Prior to the Ryder Cup’s final round, each captain submits a sealed envelope with the name of one golfer who gets sidelined in the event of an injury to a member of the opposing team. With Team Europe’s Viktor Hovland battling a neck injury, that meant the United States’ Harris English didn’t play, and their head-to-head battle was ruled a tie.
Bradley told reporters after the Ryder Cup the envelope rule “has to change.”
“I have a few ideas, but I’m not going to tell you right now,” Bradley said. “I mean, the rule has to change. I think it’s obvious to everybody in the sports world, in this room. Nothing against Viktor, but that rule needs to change by the next Ryder Cup.”
The United States and Europe have both benefited from the envelope rule in the past. It helped the U.S. secure a win in 1991, when Steve Pate was unable to play. Europe salvaged a half-point two years later when Sam Torrance couldn’t go.
In the case of the 1991 Ryder Cup, the half-point was the difference in the United States’ victory. Whereas a 14-14 tie would’ve given the trophy to Europe, the U.S. won 14.5-13.5.
Europe captain Luke Donald pointed out that everyone is well aware of and agrees to a uniform structure for the Ryder Cup.
“The rule is the rule, and it’s been in place for a long time,” he said. “We have contracts for a reason, a captains’ agreement for a reason, for situations that occur.”
The envelope rule is worth exploring because it penalizes a team for circumstances beyond its control. It’s like in tennis if an injury resulted in both players getting eliminated rather than one advancing in a walkover.
When it comes to the 2025 Ryder Cup, the United States’ loss was down to far more than Hovland and English’s draw. A full point for the U.S. wouldn’t have made a difference in the outcome, and the Americans wouldn’t have had to fight so hard to come back Sunday if they hadn’t played so poorly on Friday and Saturday.
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