Team Europe golfer Viktor Hovland reacts to a putt on the 14th hole on the penultimate day of competition for the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black.

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. — Viktor Hovland is out of Sunday singles at the 45th Ryder Cup, and as a result the European team is a half point closer to victory.

Hovland, a 28-year-old Norwegian, complained of a neck injury on Saturday that he said he has been dealing with since the Travelers Championship in June and was a last-minute scratch for an afternoon four-ball match. Tyrrell Hatton subbed for him and teamed with Matt Fitzpatrick to earn a full point as Europe stretched their lead to 11½-4½.

Hovland woke up on Sunday morning unable to move his neck. He tried to warm up at Bethpage but due to limited movement, he had to inform Captain Luke Donald that he will be unable to play in his singles match against Harris English.

“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," he said. "I will be backing my team as hard as I can and rooting them on.”

For the first time in 32 years, a player chosen by the captain in advance and sealed in an envelope has to sit out the singles session. English, who lost two foursomes matches and sat out both four-ball sessions, was scheduled to face Hovland in the 12th and final match.

As part of the captains’ agreement, the two sides have agreed that if a player can’t perform because of injury or illness, his match would be declared a draw, not a forfeit, and each side would get a half-point.

"When the Captain’s lodge their team selection for singles play, they must provide a sealed envelope containing the name of one player who is regarded as having been paired with a player who, through illness, injury or other emergency reason, has to withdraw from the other side. Such pairing is regarded as a tied match. If this requires the re-pairing of a match, this will be done down the order of the play,” according to a release from the PGA of America.

It is generally presumed that the captain will choose his weakest player.

“That’s probably the hardest decision you have to make as captain,” Paul Azinger, the 2008 U.S. captain, once told Golfweek.

The last time a captain had to reveal the name in his envelope, Tom Watson was the man in charge of the U.S. in 1993. That’s when a blister formed underneath the pinky toe on Sam Torrance’s left foot and became infected. A doctor removed the nail, and Torrance was scratched from Sunday’s singles, forcing Watson’s hand. Lanny Wadkins, one of Watson’s captain’s picks, eased Watson’s decision by volunteering to take one for the team.

When Bradley was asked on Saturday night about the possibility of having to tell a player that he wouldn't get to play in Sunday singles, he said, "we need to go out there and play this tournament the way it was supposed to be played. I have to go figure this out now. I'm still learning what's going on. I don't know how that's going to end up. We'll see in a few minutes."

European Captain Luke Donald gave an update on Saturday night on the nature of Hovland's injury. "He was feeling quite uncomfortable in the middle of the round this morning. He got some physio. He was given a lot of anti-inflammatories during the round. He finished. He was feeling OK. 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. 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," Donald said. "So it was a last-minute decision to switch him out. Tyrrell literally warmed up for about ten minutes. We knew it was a possibility, but we were hoping that he would play."

With the half point, Europe now leads 12-5 and needs just two points from the remaining 11 matches to retain the Ryder Cup and win for the first time on foreign soil since 2012.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Viktor Hovland withdraws from Sunday singles due to neck injury at Ryder Cup

Reporting by Adam Schupak, Golfweek / Golfweek

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