For the first time in the near 100-year history of the Ryder Cup, members of the U.S. team will be compensated for playing.
Money, money, money.
It has plagued golf for the last few years. But it has also been one of the biggest topics of discussion surrounding next year’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black. The $750 price of admission for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday has angered fans across the world, as that cost will keep many hardworking and honest fans away from the competition.
And now, according to James Corrigan of The Telegraph Sport, American Ryder Cup stars will receive compensation for participating in the 2025 edition. It will mark the first time in the competition’s near-100-year history that players will be paid.
“They can do whatever they want,” an anonymous European player said to Corrigan.
“But we don’t want payments in our bank accounts, as it’ll be the thin end of the wedge and is not what the Ryder Cup is about. Let’s face it: a lot of the American players have been angling towards this for years, if not decades. If it does go ahead, it will be interesting to see how the fans react at Bethpage, although they’ll probably announce it as just an extension of what already happens.”
At last year’s Ryder Cup in Rome, rumors swirled around Patrick Cantlay and his hat—or lack thereof. According to a report, Cantlay refused to wear a cap to protest against the PGA of America for its lack of financial support towards players. The report indicated that Cantlay and Xander Schauffele felt they should be paid to play.
Once European fans learned of this, they continuously waved their hats toward Cantlay in an effort to rile him up and throw him off. And then, late on Saturday, after facing tremendous hostility from fans, Cantlay holed a putt to clinch a point for the U.S. His caddy, Joe LaCava, celebrated by waving his hat right in the face of Rory McIlroy, which led to an altercation between McIlroy and fellow American caddy Jim “Bones” MacKay in the parking lot after. McIlroy expressed his displeasure with LaCava’s behavior, and it turned into the biggest story of the 2023 Ryder Cup.
And now, more than a year later, it looks as if the Americans will be paid after all. Ryder Cup competitors have never received direct payments from their respective governing bodies and instead have played for national pride and passion. However, given how large—and corporate—the biennial competition has become, both the PGA of America and the DP World Tour make huge profits from this one event. As such, since 1999, the PGA of America has allocated $2.4 million for all 12 players, but this allotment does not go directly into the pockets of each participant. Instead, the organization donates $100,000 per player to junior golf organizations, and then the PGA of America donates $100,000 to charities of each player’s choice.
Whether that policy will change remains to be seen.
So, what do you think? Should players be compensated for playing in the Ryder Cup? Vote in the poll above, or let us know in the comments.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.
