Hovland reportedly suffered a neck problem while celebrating a clutch putt on the 17th hole during his morning match alongside Robert MacIntyre. The pair had just secured a crucial victory over Russell Henley and Scottie Scheffler, but the Norwegian’s celebrations appear to have come at a cost.
As a result, Tyrrell Hatton has been drafted in to replace Hovland and will now partner Matt Fitzpatrick against Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay. The switch disrupts Europe’s original plan, as Hatton had been scheduled to rest in the afternoon following his earlier point-winning performance with Jon Rahm against Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Thomas.
There has been no official confirmation from Team Europe or captain Luke Donald on the extent of Hovland’s injury, but his absence is undoubtedly a blow to the side.
Despite the setback, Europe maintain a commanding 8.5 to 3.5 lead over Team USA as they continue their push toward the 14 points required to retain the Ryder Cup.
