Ryder Cup: Jordan Spieth nearly pays price for exuberant high fives with hand injury

Warning to future US Ryder Cuppers: Patrick Reed may be even more dangerous as a partner than he is as an opponent. Just ask Jordan Spieth.

The world No 4 injured his hand in one of several high-fived celebrations with Reed in Saturday afternoon’s fourballs victory over Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson. By Sunday morning he was rumoured to be on the verge of pulling out of the singles, meaning the dreaded “envelope” would have come into operation. But in the event he was cleared to play against Stenson. 

The Golf Channel reported that Spieth was uncertain if the complaint had occurred during one particular high-five that he and Reed enacted as they moved to their second win in the tournament and their fourth as a crack pairing – or if it was the repetitive strain of their ecstatic revelry.

Spieth was clutching his hand in the final holes of their win over Stenson and Rose – in which Reed posted six birdies and an eagle – and apparently received treatment on the injury on Saturday evening and Sunday morning.

If Spieth had withdrawn then the organisers would have been obliged to open the envelope containing the name of the Europe player selected by Darren Clarke to sit out, with both teams then collecting half a point. It was not revealed who Clarke had picked as the potential fall guy.

Sir Nick Faldo saw the funny side of the bizarre scenario. “I know it sounds pathetic,” the Englishman said about some of the near 15-second routines which Hazeltine witnessed on Saturday. “It was a total overreaction on their part. You know, the way they’re slapping everybody and punching their fists … well, you just you don’t do that normally. Maybe, once when you’ve won on the 18th would be OK. But it’s now happening from the second hole on, all day long.”

Spieth is not the first to be hurt in the midst of Ryder Cup euphoria. Graeme McDowell confessed to his arm “nearly dropping off” after Ian Poulter had given him the slap of approval after their 2008 victory in Kentucky against Jim Furyk and Kenny Perry.

There is a history of celebrations going wrong in golf. The most famous was when Thomas Levet jumped in the lake at Le Golf National after winning his home French Open in 2011. The former Ryder Cup player ended up missing the Open, as well as the USPGA, with a broken leg.