The PGA of America voted to increase stipends and charitable money for U.S. Ryder Cup players, per a Golf Channel report.
Whoever makes the U.S. Ryder Cup team next year at Bethpage Black will receive an additional $200,000 from the PGA of America, according to Rex Hoggard of the Channel.
The new plan, approved by the PGA of America’s board of directors, will increase the amount of money players receive for charitable donations from $200,000 to $300,000. Participants will also receive an additional $200,000 as a “stipend” that does not have to be directed toward charity.
“People look at the PGA as this big organization, but it’s really 41 sections. All we’re trying to do is grow the game,” PGA president Don Rea told Hoggard.
“The Ryder Cup is an amazing international competition, but at the end of the day, it’s just one of the ways the PGA helps to grow the game. We’re just trying to do good with the money we have. The message was to grow the game and help charities. The players are our members as well and we treat them just like we do all of our members.”
The Ryder Cup has become a cash cow for the PGA of America, as evidenced by the expensive ticket prices for next year’s competition on Long Island. Prices for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday matches opened at $750 per ticket, an eye-opening figure for many golf fans. Yet, tickets sold out in a blink, proving that the demand outweighed the cost. Some lucky ticket holders then went on to sell tickets on the secondary market, where prices ballooned beyond four figures. Corporate hospitality at Bethpage Black is also sold out, meaning the PGA of America will generate plenty of revenue on Long Island next year.
Because this event generates so much revenue for the organization, some players have felt they deserve compensation for their participation. After all, the players make the Ryder Cup what it is. However, this issue has plagued the American side for nearly 25 years. Some have advocated for direct payments, while others have not. Even then, U.S. players have received $200,000 each from the PGA of America. This money has directly supported their favorite charities and grassroots organizations since 1999.
At last year’s Ryder Cup in Rome, tempers flared because of ‘hat-gate.’ A European report indicated that Patrick Cantlay refused to wear a hat to protest against the PGA of America’s lack of compensation towards players. Cantlay has refuted that notion multiple times since then, but the 2023 Ryder Cup will be best remembered for what happened down the stretch on Saturday. As Cantlay finished his round, fans serenaded him, waving their hats in disgust while chanting his name and decrying the Americans for allegedly wanting money for playing. The scene turned even more memorable on the 18th green, where Cantlay holed a 30-footer for birdie to win his match. That led his caddie, Joe LaCava, to wave his hat in celebration—a straight diss to the Europeans—but his actions came too close to where Rory McIlroy faced a putt to tie. The incident upset McIlroy, who had to be held back in the parking lot afterward.
Nevertheless, according to Hoggard, “no players asked to be compensated” for participating, and the PGA of America did not consult any player about this change. This announcement comes a week after a Sports Illustrated report outlined a letter from former U.S. Ryder Cup captains to the PGA of America. That letter argued against players receiving additional compensation and advocated for the competition’s passion.
On the other hand, the Europeans have never received any payments from the DP World Tour, which facilitates the Ryder Cup from the European side. Instead, the revenue generated supports the circuit formerly known as the European Tour, which has struggled in recent decades compared to the PGA Tour.
That has never bothered the European players, though.
“I personally would pay for the privilege to play on the Ryder Cup,” McIlroy told BBC Sport last month.
“The two purest forms of competition in our game right now are the Ryder Cup and the Olympics, and it’s partly because of that—the purity of no money being involved.”
The state of professional golf seems to revolve around money, money, and more money. The same can now be said for the Ryder Cup, which is supposed to revolve around passion, pageantry, and rivalry. Yet, this awkward discrepancy between the U.S. and European teams only adds to the intrigue, increasing the tension as we approach next year’s Ryder Cup.
Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
