Two weeks after withdrawing before Sunday singles at Bethpage Black, Norwegian golfer Viktor Hovland shares his thoughts on the Ryder Cup’s “envelope rule,” sharing why his neck injury was “pretty upsetting” for himself and American Harris English. #GolfChannel #GolfCentral #Golf #ViktorHovland #HarrisEnglish #RyderCup
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Viktor Hovland: Ryder Cup injury situation was ‘pretty upsetting’ | Golf Central | Golf Channel
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I PLAY A ROLE. BUT I PLAY A SMALL ROLE IN TERMS OF A LARGER PICTURE. AND I CERTAINLY COULDN’T DO IT WITHOUT THE AMAZING SUPPORT WE HAVE BEHIND ME. >> THERE WAS A LOT OF DEBATE AROUND THE — THE DRAW FROM THE RYDER CUP. YOU KNOW A LOT OF STRONG REACTIONS CAME FROM FANS AND PLAYERS. HOW DID YOU VIEW THAT ENTIRE DEBATE AND WOULD YOU LIKE TO CHANGE ANYTHING ABOUT IT? >> YEAH. THAT’S A GOOD QUESTION. YOU KNOW, IT WAS THE WHOLE SITUATION WAS PRETTY UPSETTING. JUST THE FACT THAT I DIDN’T GET TO PLAY. AND I FELT REALLY BAD FOR HARRIS WHO ALSO DIDN’T GET TO PLAY A MATCH EVEN THOUGH, YOU KNOW, THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH HIM. HE JUST, YOU KNOW, DIDN’T GET TO PLAY. AND I FEEL VERY BAD FOR NOT BEING ABLE TO COMPETE. AND IT’S TOUGH. YEAH, IT’S HARD — I THINK WE’RE SO USED TO IN SPORTS THAT YEAH, IF YOU CANNOT PLAY BECAUSE YOU ARE HURT, YOU KNOW, THAT’S OBVIOUSLY — THAT SHOULD BE A LOSS OF POINT. BUT I THINK IN THE SPIRIT OF THE RYDER CUP, AND IT’S, YOU KNOW, THE SPIRIT OF THE GAME, AND THE HISTORY OF IT, KNOWING THAT THIS RYDER CUP IS JUST A PART OF MANY, MANY RYDER CUPS TO COME. I THINK IT’S MORE OF A GENTLEMAN’S AGREEMENT THAT OKAY, YOU WERE — YOU WERE HURT THIS TIME AND MAYBE THE NEXT TIME THERE’S A GUY ON THE U.S.’ TEAM AND WE’RE ALL KIND OF SYMPATHETIC ABOUT THE PEOPLE — PERSON BEING HURT AND NOT BEING ABLE TO PLAY. THERE’S KIND OF A MUTUAL UNDERSTANDING THAT, YOU KNOW, IF WE WERE HEALTHY WE WOULD ALL GO OUT THERE AND PLAY. I DON’T THINK PEOPLE ARE USING THAT TO REALLY FINAGLE THE SYSTEM AND TRY TO, YOU KNOW, SQUEAK BY. ALSO TO THE OTHER POINT. IF YOU DO CHANGE THE RULE AND YOU GIVE AWAY A POINT, NOW THERE’S ALSO THE ANGLE THAT OKAY. KNOWING THE OTHER TEAM IS GOING TO PUT OUT THEIR BEST PLAYER MOST LIKELY IN THE FIRST FEW GROUPS, THEY CAN JUST KIND OF PUT ME OUT AS A SACRIFICIAL LAMB AND TAKE THE L. AGAINST THEIR BEST PLAYER. SO THERE’S OTHER WAY AROUND IT AND I THINK THE, YOU KNOW, IT’S — I DON’T THINK THERE WAS ANY IDEAL WAY TO DO IT. BUT THE MOST LIKE — I THINK THAT’S JUST A BETTER WAY OVERALL TO DO IT. EVEN THOUGH IT’S JUST A TOUGH SITUATION AND AT THE END OF THE DAY, I THINK WE’D ALL BE WANTING TO GO OUT THERE AND PLAY. >> THAT’S INTERESTING BECAUSE EITHER WAY, THEIR BEST PLAYER WOULD END UP WITH THE W. IN IS THAT SITUATION. BUT PAIGE, WHAT’S — WHAT’S YOUR REACTION TO THE FERVOR AROUND THE ENVELOPE RULE? >> I’M DISAPPOINTED THAT HOFLAND IS REQUIRED TO KIND OF SPEAK ON BEHALF OF THIS RULE. IT FEELS AS THOUGH HE’S PUT IN THIS POSITION TO SOMEHOW DEFEND THE POSITION OF SPLITTING THE HALF POINT. AND I DON’T FEEL LIKE THAT’S NECESSARILY FAIR FOR A PLAYER. I DO THINK IT’S WORTHY CONVERSATION TO DEBATE WHETHER IT SHOULD BE SPLIT HALF POINT OR WHETHER IT SHOULD BE A FORFEITED FULL POINT. I THINK BACK IN 2011, WHEN CHRIS TICKER IN THE SINGLES MATCH DID HAVE TO FORFEIT DUE TO INJURY AND AT THE TIME THE MORNING OF SUNDAY’S SINGLES, IT WAS TIED 8-8. SO SIGNIFICANT IN HOW THAT EVENT ENDED UP ULTIMATELY PLAYING OUT. AND I THINK SHE MAYBE UNFAIRLY RECEIVED A LOT OF HEAT FOR WITHDRAWING AND PLAYED PREVIOUSLY THE FOUR MATCHES COMING INTO IN SUNDAY SINGLES. A LOT OF WAYS I THINK IT ULTIMATELY FALLS DOWN ON TO THE PLAYERS WHEN IT WAS ACTUALLY A CAPTAIN’S AGREEMENT OR IT WAS AGREED UPON BY ADMINISTRATION BEFORE THE PLAYERS TEED IT UP. I THINK IT’S A WORTHY DEBATE. I CAN MAKE THE ARGUMENT BOTH DIRECTIONS BUT ULTIMATELY I LIKE THE IDEA OF A HALF POINT SPLIT. BECAUSE I DO NOT BELIEVE THAT ANY OF THOSE PLAYERS OR TEAMS WOULD BE INTENTIONALLY ABUSING THAT RULE GIVEN THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS EVENT. >> YEAH, AND I THINK THAT — I DON’T THINK THERE’S ANY VICTIM HERE THAT TO
5 Comments
The problem with this is the degree of injury is not factored in. Discomfort, even if extreme, shouldn't be enough to withdraw. If you're healthy enough to be jumping up and down celebrating like he was, you should have played. Not only does it invite the "was it strategy" discussion, but it also displays a significant lack of character. Part of being an athlete is playing through injury. Most golfers aren't athletes. Clearly Hovland is included with the latter.
If a player withdraws for any reason, you lose the full point. Easy solution
Viktor left it as late as he could, giving it a go on the range before finally calling his match off. The US gladly benefitted from the envelope rule in '91, so they can suck it up now.
Imagine if that happened in Tennis or any other sport. Who does that. So what happens if you’re out on the course and you dislocate your shoulder and you can’t go on. Hand shake and a tie. Craziness.
Nobody said anything about being shady, but you don’t play you don’t get any points. End of story. If you took your first swing, injured yourself, you don’t get 1/2 pt for starting. This isn’t a participation trophy…lolol