Ryder Cup Sunday began with the news that the "envelope rule," one of the competition's curiosities, had to be invoked due to Norwegian Viktor Hovland's neck injury during Saturday's foursomes, which already forced Matt Fitzpatrick to be re-paired with Tyrrell Hatton for the afternoon session.
Bradley, statements
Included in the agreement between captains, the rule dictates that each skipper delivers an envelope before the start of the event with the name of the player they will be without in the event of an injury to the opposing team. The chosen player is considered paired with the injured player for the singles, and that match is declared a draw. This meant that the Europeans went into the final with 12 points instead of 11.5, just two points away from retaining the cup and 2.5 points away from winning it.
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Something that didn't please Keegan Bradley, who at the end of the day stated that the rule "should be changed." "I have some ideas that I'm not going to say right now," he stated in a speech that sounds somewhat victimized, especially because of the three times it has been used, one of them was a smile on the Americans' faces (with Steve Pate in 1991, a close-run event like few others). Asked about his remarks, European counterpart Luke Donald, who referred to that previous episode as proof that it is a fair rule, dismissed it, while Bobby MacIntyre, beside him, laughed: "The rule is the rule, and it's been that way for a long time".
The Rules of Golf are a set of standards and procedures by which the sport of golf should be played. They are jointly written and administered by the Royal & Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews, the governing body of golf worldwide, except in the United States and Mexico, which are governed by the United States Golf Association. An expert committee composed of members of the R&A and the USGA oversees and refines the rules every four years. The latest revision took effect on January 1, 2016. Amendments to the Rules of Golf generally fall into two main categories: those that improve understanding and those that reduce penalties in certain cases to ensure balance. The rulebook, entitled "Rules of Golf," is published regularly and also includes rules governing amateur status. In Italy, the Italian Golf Federation is responsible for overseeing competitions by enforcing the rules issued by the R&A, ensuring that these rules are observed by clubs, associations, and their members, and managing the resulting sporting justice, protecting their interests abroad.
