FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – On a day when only 11 Singles matches were played instead of 12, an extra half-point that seemed inconsequential nearly proved pivotal in deciding the final outcome at the 45th Ryder Cup.

The Europeans entered the final day at Bethpage State Park with an 11.5 to 4.5 lead, but that became 12 to 5 before a shot was struck at the Black Course. That’s because Viktor Hovland was unable to play on the final day, sidelined by a neck injury that also saw him scratched late from a Saturday Four-ball match.

While European Captain Luke Donald was able to swap in Tyrrell Hatton for Hovland in the Four-ball slot, he had no such option on Sunday. Instead, Donald enacted a rule in the Captains’ Agreement that both he and U.S. Captain Keegan Bradley agreed to before the tournament.

“When the captains lodge their team selection for Singles play, they must provide a sealed envelope containing the name of one player who is regarded as having been paired with a player who, through illness, injury or other emergency reason, has to withdraw from the other side,” the agreement reads. “Such pairing is regarded as a tied match.”

Bradley had put Harris English’s name in the envelope, and the subsequent half-point that went to the Europeans ultimately loomed large amid a monstrous American comeback that eventually fell short as the Europeans hung on to win by a 15-13 margin.

Saturday night, Bradley seemed to bristle at the notion of an injury-related tie, stating, “We need to go out there and play this tournament the way it was supposed to be played.” Speaking after a narrow defeat while flanked by his 12 players, Bradley went a step further.

“The rule has to change,” Bradley said. “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.”

This was the fourth time in Ryder Cup history that the rule has come into play, and the first since 1993. In three of the four instances, the injured player was European: Mark James in 1979, Sam Torrance in 1993 and Hovland. The lone American injury came in 1991 (Steve Pate). This was the first time that a Ryder Cup that included an injury concession ended with a European win.

When informed of Bradley’s call for a rule change, Donald went the other way. He noted that the existing rule has been in place since 1971 and twice factored in narrow, 14.5 to 13.5 victories for the Americans in 1991 and 1993.

“We have contracts for a reason, a Captain's Agreement for a reason, for situations that occur,” said Donald, who added that Hovland was “gutted” to not play. “The rule is the rule, and it’s been in place for a long time.”