Ryder Cup 2025: What is the "envelope rule" and is it good or bad for players?

With so much happening on the course at the Ryder Cup, there is often little focus on what is going on behind the scenes, and there is one rule that is not widely known to golf fans.

Since Great Britain and Ireland became Team Europe in the late 70s, there has been a regular point of order that takes place before the singles matches begin on Sunday.

It is referred to as the "envelope rule", but what is inside and should the players be concerned?

Both captains are required to hand over an envelope that contains the name of one of their players, but if you're playing in the Ryder Cup, you do not want your name to be in there.

It is a contingency plan in case of injury or illness. If anyone is unable to play the Sunday singles, the name of the opposing player in the envelope is revealed, and he will not play either.

It is the ultimate sacrifice, and the result is that the unplayed match is worth half a point for each team, regardless of who has had to pull out.

During the 2002 Ryder Cup at The Belfry, US captain Curtis Strange said: “The whole thing is very uncomfortable, writing the name on the paper, sealing it in the envelope. You don’t ever want that name to get out. 

"You don’t ever want to destroy someone’s confidence. But you’re obligated to put a name in the envelope. “These guys become family and it’s like you’re telling one of them you don’t love them as much.”

There was an additional envelope in 2021 due to Covid, with three other names written down and sealed in case they had been in close contact with someone who had tested positive for coronavirus.

“I'll probably will talk to my assistants and then not tell them who I put in there," said US skipper, Steve Stricker. "You don’t want to have anybody know that they went in the envelope. At least I wouldn’t want to know if I was in there, and I probably was in there at some point.”

The envelope has been opened only twice, the first time in "fishy" circumstances, according to Colin Montgomerie.

In 1991, ahead of the infamous "War on the Shore", Steve Pate suffered a rib injury in a car accident as he was en route to the traditional gala dinner on the Wednesday.

He assured US captain Dave Stockton that he would be fit to play, but he did not appear until the fourth session and was in clear discomfort as he and Corey Pavin were beaten by Montgomerie and Bernhard Langer in fourballs.

Pate was then drawn to play against Seve Ballesteros in Sunday's singles, but he suddenly decided his ribs were too sore to play. Europe's envelope was unsealed, and David Gilford was the unfortunate man who had to sit out.

Two years later at The Belfry, Lanny Wadkins actually volunteered to be the name in the US envelope, saving captain Tom Watson of the tough decision.

“I told Tom since I was a captain’s pick, I was trying to make it easy for him," said Wadkins. "I told him to stick my name in there. Other people deserve to play.”

Sam Torrance then pulled out of the singles after breaking his toe in a freak accident, Wadkins didn't play in the singles, and the 15-13 win for the USA was the last time they won the Ryder Cup away from home.