Bradley, Donald mixed on future of Ryder Cup injury rule - ESPN

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Following his team's 15-13 loss to the Europeans in the 45th Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black on Sunday, U.S. captain Keegan Bradley said the event's longstanding envelope rule involving injured players should change.

But Luke Donald, who became only the second European captain to win back-to-back Ryder Cups, said the rule is there to protect players and should remain in place.

The substitution rule in the captains' agreement requires each team to submit the name of one player Saturday night in a sealed envelope who wouldn't play in the case of an injury to a golfer on the opposing team.

It was invoked for only the fourth time Sunday when Norway's Viktor Hovland had to withdraw from singles because of a neck injury.

«The rule is the rule, and it's been in place for a long time,» Donald said. «We have contracts for a reason, a captains' agreement for a reason, for situations that occur.»

Hovland was scheduled to play Harris English in the anchor singles match. English happened to be the player that Bradley submitted in his sealed envelope, so he had to watch Sunday's action.

«I would have had absolute faith in him to deliver a point today,» Donald said of Hovland. «He couldn't play. He was gutted.»

Said English: «It sucked not going out there and playing. But it is what it is, and I was part of the crowd today and contributed as much as I could.»

The teams halved their match, giving the Europeans a 12-5 lead going into the final session.

Bradley said the rule «has to change» but wouldn't specify how he would alter it. The most obvious way to do it would be to have the injured golfer's team forfeit a full point instead of a half-point.

«I have a few ideas, but I'm not going to tell you right now,» Bradley