Ryder Cup: What is the envelope rule and how does it work?

When the two captains send the single sequence for the market, they also provide a sealed envelope with the name of a player.

The player mentioned in the envelope would sit on the single if a competitor had to retreat through illness or injury more than 30 minutes before the start of the first single match.

The two players would be considered as a couple, so that both sides would get half points.

If a player withdraws less than 30 minutes before the first single match starts, the matches are lost.

A number of captains should be informed of the possible illness or injury of one of the players, and they should immediately inform the opponent’s captain and the chief referee.

The names in the envelopes only occur when used.

If a player had to pull out after a positive testing for COVİD-19, an additional envelope was used on the whistling plains in the 2021 Ryder Cup.

Europe needs only 2½ points from 12 single games to protect the Ryder Cup. If it was withdrawn from the Hovland match, they would need only two points from the remaining 11.