Paige Spiranac points to a ‘dumb rule’ at the Ryder Cup: ‘It needs to be changed

Paige Spiranac, the influential golf commentator, recently criticized a longstanding Ryder Cup rule after Europe’s narrow victory over the USA. The event at Bethpage Black highlighted tensions in the sport’s biggest team showdown.

The controversial “envelope rule,” in place since 1979, came into play when Viktor Hovland withdrew due to a neck injury. It awarded half a point to both teams in his singles match against Harris English.

Spiranac called the rule “dumb” on social media, arguing it unfairly split the point instead of giving the full win to the opponent. She stressed it’s outdated, no matter which side benefits.

Echoing U.S. captain Keegan Bradley’s call for reform, Spiranac urged immediate changes to ensure matches are decided on the course, not technicalities.