That's a dumb rule. That should be a 1 point forfeit to the US, not a way to earn (half) points without playing.The whining about that Hovland injury is that Europe was automatically awarded 1/2 a point for that match for a tie.
At the time they already had 11 1/2 points banked and needed 14 to win. Giving Europe that 1/2point without a match being contested pushed them closer to that 14 points. It didn't seem like a big deal at the time, but the US team came dangerously close to making it an issue yesterday.