It’s been a tough outing for Justin Thomas at Bethpage. Despite being one of the better players in Team U.S., he has had to suffer through a lot of scrutiny in the 2025 Ryder Cup. Fans questioned Keegan Bradley for not picking him during Saturday’s Foursome contest after he and Cameron Young dominated Friday’s Fourball match. He had to play the mediator during the Saturday Fourball match because fans were being crude against Rory McIlroy & Shane Lowry. And after all that, Team U.S. lost the opportunity to win half a point after Viktor Hovland withdrew due to a neck injury (envelope rule). And Thomas was not happy about it.

Golf Digest shared a video showing the moment when Justin learned about Viktor’s withdrawal. That means Harris English will also have to skip the Sunday Singles match, and their contest will be tied. Disappointed that Team U.S. won’t be able to contest for the point, the 2-time major winner was seen shaking his head in disapproval. Still practicing before Sunday tee-off, he took a good 30 seconds to express his displeasure before going back to practicing his swing. His disappointment might be justified as a Team U.S. player, but not everyone approved of the way he reacted to Hovland’s withdrawal.

In fact, fans were surprised to learn that Thomas didn’t agree with the situation. Being a Ryder Cup veteran, he must already be aware of the envelope rule. He must have already anticipated Hovland’s withdrawal, considering his neck injury on Saturday. The Norwegian pro also had an MRI scan, as revealed by Team Europe captain Luke Donald. So he must have already anticipated the outcome of the situation. For him to still not accept it seems strange.

In fact, it’s so unusual that the fans couldn’t help but question Justin Thomas’s reaction. Let’s see what they said.

Netizens wonder what Justin Thomas was expecting when he learned about Viktor Hovland’s injury

This is the 4th time Justin Thomas is playing in the Ryder Cup. So, for him to still not understand and accept the situation of the envelope rule is quite shocking. Considering the trouble Team U.S. is in, one fan bluntly advised him, “Be grateful for the half point…” The fan is suggesting that, judging by how well Harris English has performed at Bethpage as compared to Viktor Hovland, they might not have even been able to gain half the point if those two actually played the match.

Another fan had similar views, “He should be grateful, that’s an extra 0.5 points that they weren’t gonna get 😂.” Looks like there is a common belief in the community that if Hovland & English had faced off, then the European pro would have definitely won the match. In fact, there are some who also think that an injured Viktor could have bested Harris at Bethpage: “Hovland would’ve gone 10 & 8 against Harris with his neck detached.”Wouldn’t that be a spectacle to watch? Unfortunately, Hovland decided not to take that risk, or we would have certainly seen one of the worst matches in the entire tournament.

Despite battling a persistent neck injury that forced him to withdraw from the crucial Sunday singles at the Ryder Cup, Hovland had contributed significantly to Team Europe’s success with a 1-1-1 record in the event and vital wins in foursomes. Harris English, on the other hand, had a less impactful Ryder Cup week, 0-2-1.

Someone pointed out a hilarious fact about Team U.S.’s current situation at Bethpage: “Should be pleased they’re guaranteed a 1/2. Hovland just gave them 10% of their points.”The 0.5 points they earned pushed their score to a total of 5 points. That certainly means Hovland’s withdrawal contributed to 10% of all the points they have earned so far.

Interestingly, this also ensured that English contributed some points to Team U.S.’s total score. Even though in reality, he didn’t actually play for it. And that is exactly what a fan also pointed out as they wrote, “Don’t know why he’s upset, that’s the only way Harris fucking English is going to put any points on the board.”English & Thomas should be grateful that the former was guaranteed a point because Hovland withdrew.