‘Must change’: 1 line closed by Keegan Bradley after the loss of Ryder Cup

Keegan Bradley wants to change. Luke Donald says that rules are rules.

As the Ryder Cup ended on Sunday in Bethpage Black, perhaps a Ryder Cup debate started. Whose thought wins on the ‘envelope rule’ should make an interesting watch in the coming months. Or give Ryder Cup lovers at least something to calm a hangover that starts on Monday – and will not end until September 2027, when the next cup starts.

The envelope rule? That is the Ryder Cup movement if someone is unable to play singles on Sunday due to an injury. Instead of a team that finished the point, the parties agree from 1979 that every captain, prior to the event, would select a player to sit outside – and the name of that player would be placed in an envelope to not be closed in the case of emergency situation. And on Sunday it was. The Viktor HOVOLAND of Team Europe could not go because of a neck injury, Harris English was unveiled as the American envelope player, and each team got a half-point, making the score 12-5 in the advantage of Europe with 11 singles matches.

The discovery of the name of English alone is remarkable, because there is clear curiosity about who Captains would choose such a place. But then singles became unexpectedly close by. The US began to chip away in the big European lead. And maybe you started to wonder: what if HOVOLAND was not injured? What if English would play? They were actually planned to play each other in the last game on Sunday. Would the absence of the awarded semi -points influence the procedure while the afternoon unfolded as it did? With the semi-point, Europeans then only needed two points to reach the total of 14 points needed to retain the cup that won two years ago and the Americans denied a chance of a lot of needed full point. But HOVOLAND could certainly have beaten English. Or maybe you thought: what if the Americans got a full point when Europe announced that HOVOLAND could not go? Their player was not the one who hurt, right?

Of course the semi-points were given and the Europeans won, 15-13. But at the question in his press conference after the game or the rule is something that should be investigated again, Bradley said five words.

“Yes, it has to change,” he said.

Does he have ideas about how?

“I have a few ideas, but I’m not going to tell you now,” said Bradley. “I mean, the rule must change. I think it is clear to everyone in the sports world, in this room. Nothing against Viktor. But that rule must change due to the next Ryder Cup.”

A short time later, Bradley left the press center, Donald came in – and he was told that Bradley did not agree with the rule that caused somewhat laughed. He was then asked for his thoughts about how the rule influenced the game and the rule in general.

Donald spoke about the two times that it had been established earlier. He also said he had faith in HOVOLAND to play and that he was ‘stripped’ not. European players cheered on that comment.

“The rule is the rule,” Donald said, “and it has been there for a long time.”

As he noticed, the ‘envelope’ has been in the game twice.

In 1991 the American Steve Pate suffered a few days before the event bruised ribs in a car accident. He was sitting until Saturday afternoon, but recognized the injury and the call was made, he could not go on Sunday in a match against European legend Seve Ballesteros – and the name of David Gilford was taken out of the envelope. The US then won 14.5-13.5. Was there controversy? At the time, the European Colin Montgomerie said this: “We thought it was fish -like. Injuries don’t get worse at night.”

Two years later a European was injured. Sam Torrance had to deal with an infected toe and he had to sit on Sunday – but this time American Lanny Wadkins offered himself to sit and the envelope was never opened. The US then won 15-13.

Wadkins said at the time: “I was the choice of a captain. The other boys deserved their way to the team with two years of great game. I have now played in eight Ryder Cups and I don’t know how many competitions, and I would hate someone of the experience.”

Regarding how other team events deal with injuries for singles playing?

After playing in the Presidents Cup last year and in 2013, Bradley may have their procedure: there is an envelope. But he may be interested in how the Women’s Solheim Cup works.

Teams lose a full point if a player is injured.

Note of the editors: Click for more information about the ‘envelope’ and the history behind it here For this story written by Golf’s Dylan Dethier.

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