Soon after losing the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage, Keegan Bradley had only one thing to say: “The (Envelope) rule has to change, I think it’s obvious to everybody in the sports world, in this room. Nothing against Viktor. But that rule needs to change by the next Ryder Cup.” The Team U.S. captain was frustrated that the Europeans earned half a point, overlooking the fact that it wouldn’t have changed the result. And like many, Edoardo Molinari also believes that Bradley is wrong to make such demands.

According to rumors, the ruling committee is considering adding a 13th player to serve as a standby replacement if someone gets injured. But Molinari disagreed with the suggestion, explaining why it wouldn’t work, in the latest episode of Fried Egg Golf with Joseph LaMagna. He told the host on Fried Egg Golf, “I think the envelope rule is the lesser of the two evils. If you had a 13th guy around, he would have played two times in 30 years, which means that both teams should bring a guy to play a practice round and sit around all week. I don’t think that’s a great idea.”

Given how motivated the players are to be part of the Ryder Cup squad, a substitute standby would certainly change the dynamic of the team. Having someone on the team who would be supporting his peers, but also hoping someone gets injured so he gets a shot at playing, wouldn’t be great for the squad’s morale. Most of the 12 members will be walking on their toes around him, focused on not losing their place rather than on winning the event. It could very well backfire under the high-pressure atmosphere for the Ryder Cup.

Molinari also commented on the alternate rule change that was being discussed by the netizens: “The other thing I heard is, if someone’s injured, you just lose your point. That opens the doors to ‘what if one of my players is injured?’ I’m trying to put him in, out in one of the first two games, and get one of the best players out for the other team as well. Which means Scottie Scheffler or Bryson (DeChambeau) wouldn’t have played on Sunday, which is a pretty s****y thing. I don’t think it should be changed. ”

Bradley’s frustration after the loss at Bethpage likely stemmed more from the sting of defeat than from the rule itself. Had it been Scottie Scheffler in Viktor Hovland’s place, his reaction might have been different. After all, no player, especially someone like Hovland, would willingly sit out the Ryder Cup finale after two years of preparation and passion. As Edoardo Molinari explained, Hovland’s injury left him unable to even swing a club, making his withdrawal unavoidable.

The envelope rule, introduced in 1979 when the Ryder Cup expanded to include continental Europe, was designed for exactly such situations. Before Sunday singles, each captain names one player in a sealed envelope to account for any last-minute injury. If a player can’t compete, the match is automatically halved, awarding both teams half a point. Though rarely used — seen only a few times in over four decades, including in 1993, 2010, and again in 2025 — it continues to spark debate over whether its purpose still fits the modern game.

Was Keegan Bradley wrong to demand a rule change for Viktor Hovland’s injury?

Viktor Hovland was all set to team up with Matt Fitzpatrick in the final match of day two. The European duo were going to face Sam Burns & Patrick Cantlay in an intense fourball match. Unfortunately, minutes before their tee-off on Saturday, it was confirmed that Hovland had to be replaced by Tyrrell Hatton due to an injury. Regarding the last-minute change, Molinari said, “If Victor had any chance of swinging a club, he would have gone out and maybe lose or win a point. But if he had 5% chance to finish the round, he would have done it.”

Viktor’s injury was so bad that he couldn’t even swing the club at all, let alone do it on the fairway. As passionate as he is about his golf, he would have certainly pushed through the pain if it were viable for him to go play on the course. However, it was just too unbearable to avoid it. Speaking of Viktor Hovland’s spirit, Edoardo Molinari also said, “When he came to the course, he was in the gym. He couldn’t even swing the club at the gym. It was like, ‘That is impossible. ‘  I would have liked to see 12 singles on Sunday. But it only happened two times in thirty years. So, I would keep it as it is.”

With the envelope rule coming into play so rarely, it doesn’t make sense to focus so much on changing it. Especially when it can create so many other complications in the team. Keegan Bradley may have been upset that Team Europe got half a point on Sunday without playing a stroke. But he has to remember that Team U.S. needed at least one more point to steal the title. So even in 2025, the envelope rule really didn’t have any influence on the result.