By Frank Pingue
FARMINGDALE, New York (Reuters) -Viktor Hovland's status for the final day of the Ryder Cup is in question due to a neck injury, Europe captain Luke Donald said on Saturday, raising the possibility of utilising the 'envelope rule' for the closing singles matches.
Hovland, who was a late scratch from his Saturday fourballs match, was getting an MRI and Donald said it was too soon to know whether the Norwegian would be in the lineup on Sunday.
"We'll see in the morning what he's like,"
Donald told reporters. "It's definitely stiffened up a little bit. He would love to play, and he'll do everything he can to play."
Hovland played a Saturday morning foursomes match with Robert MacIntyre and the European duo earned a 1UP victory over U.S. world number one Scottie Scheffler, and Russell Henley.
During the match, Donald said Hovland was given "a lot" of anti-inflammatories and that the golfer was feeling okay when he walked off the course.
"He went in to rest, and then he went back out to the range to try and hit some balls. And when he got to the driver, he hit one, and it was very painful," said Donald.
"He hit another one, and it got even more painful. It was at that point that he thought, you know, I'm not going to be able to play to the level that I think I can. So it was a last-minute decision to switch him out."
Hovland is scheduled to face Harris English in Sunday's anchor singles match at 2:03 p.m. ET (1803 GMT), but if he is unable to play the 'envelope rule' that is part of the Ryder Cup captains' agreement will come into play.
When captains submit their singles lineup on Saturday, they will each provide a name in a sealed envelope. The player named in the envelope would then sit out if the opposing team had a player who was unable to play because of illness, injury or some other emergency reason.
Such a pairing would be regarded as a tied match with both sides receiving a half point.
Europe need just 2-1/2 points from the 12 singles matches to retain the Ryder Cup, but if Hovland is unable to start then they would need only two points from 11 singles matches.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue; Editing by Kate Mayberry)
