The 2025 Ryder Cup has witnessed the Europeans showcase their domination over the US squad. However, before the Sunday Singles matches, Luke Donald’s men have encountered a major blow in their lineup.
Yesterday, shortly after the morning foursomes, Viktor Hovland revealed that he was having a sore neck. Shortly after this declaration, the PGA Tour pro was replaced by Tyrrell Hatton. On Saturday, Hatton and Matt Fitzpatrick played against Patrick Cantlay and Sam Burns in the Ryder Cup fourballs.
However, before members of the European squad were supposed to play in the Sunday Singles matches, Hovland declared a withdrawal from the competition. The golfer’s neck injury seems to remain unresolved as of now. The update was also shared by Golf Digest on X (previously Twitter). Take a look at the post:
“Viktor Hovland has withdrawn from the Sunday Singles matches at the Ryder Cup.”
Hovland did not have any issues before he started playing in the morning foursomes yesterday. Following his neck injury on Ryder Cup day 2, Hovland could not return in the afternoon despite undergoing treatment.
Following an MRI scan on Saturday night, the golfer could not move his neck on Sunday morning. The decision to withdraw came right after Hovland faced problems during the practice session in the morning.
The Norwegian was set to face Harris English in the Singles matches on September 28. However, now with Hovland forced to pull out from the Singles, the Envelope Rule is at play for the final Ryder Cup day. Captains of both teams will now have to choose a golfer before the Singles matches unfold.
Viktor Hovland speaks up regarding his neck injury while competing in the 2025 Ryder Cup
Following his withdrawal from the Sunday Singles, Hovland expressed his feelings regarding the situation. In his statement, the golfer admitted that the withdrawal was ‘pretty heartbreaking’. Hovland said (as quoted by The Independent):
“There is nothing more I would like to do than be out there representing Team Europe and trying to help them win the Ryder Cup today. Not being able to do so is pretty heartbreaking.”
“I will be backing my team as hard as I can and rooting them on.”
Hovland’s injury was discussed by Dr. Andrew Murray, Team Europe’s Chief Medical Officer. In his statement, he revealed that the golfer’s injury happens to be a ‘flare up’ of a previous injury, and there’s a ‘disk bulge’ in the neck.
It’s worth noting that months before stepping into Bethpage Black, Hovland had faced issues with his neck. During the final round of the 2025 Travelers Championship, Hovland had to stop competing after two holes of play. The golfer had a sprain in his neck, which ultimately forced him to withdraw from the PGA Tour event.
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Edited by Pravashis Biswas
