Viktor Hovland, a professional golfer, has shared his thoughts on the controversial 'envelope rule' that was invoked during the Ryder Cup, an annual men's golf competition between Europe and the United States. The rule, which was agreed upon by both teams before the event, states that if a player is injured and cannot compete, their match will be halved with a pre-determined player from the opposing team, whose name is placed in an envelope. This player, Harris English, was chosen for the U.S. Team. The rule has only been used three other times in Ryder Cup history, and it was the first time since 1993. During the press conference, Hovland expressed his frustration with the situation, stating that it was 'pretty upsetting' not to be able to play and that he felt bad for English, who also couldn't play a match despite being healthy. The incident sparked a debate about the fairness of the rule, with U.S. Captain Keegan Bradley calling for it to be changed, while Team Europe Captain Luke Donald defended its existence. Hovland, however, took a more nuanced approach, acknowledging the rule's historical significance and the spirit of the game. He suggested that the rule could be seen as a 'gentlemen's agreement' to accommodate injured players and avoid putting them in an unfair position. Despite the controversy, Hovland emphasized that he understood the other side's perspective and that there might not be an ideal solution. He also shared his recovery process, which involved resting his neck for a week and a half and playing two rounds at home. He is now ready to compete in the DP World India Championship, where he expects to avoid using his driver club, which caused him the most pain during his injury.
