American players will be paid for competing in next year’s Ryder Cup as they bid to regain the trophy at Bethpage, it has been announced.
The PGA of America revealed on Monday that each of the 12 players on Keegan Bradley’s side will receive $500,000 (£395,000), with $300,000 (£237,000) donated to a charity or charities chosen by each player.
The remaining $200,000 dollars (£158,000) has been termed a ‘stipend’ and the players will be free to use that however they wish.
The PGA of America approved the package despite saying ‘no players asked to be compensated’.
‘The players and captains, past and present, are responsible for the Ryder Cup becoming the most special competition in golf and one of the most in-demand events on the international sports scene,’ the PGA of America said in a statement.
‘While no players asked to be compensated, the PGA of America board of directors has voted to increase the allocation to the members of the US Ryder Cup team from $200,000 to be directed to charities – a figure unchanged since 1999 – to $500,000, with $300,000 of that to be directed to the charity or charities of the players’ choice.
America’s players at the 2025 Ryder Cup will each receive $500,000 for their participation
Bryson DeChambeau is expected to be among the stars playing for Team USA in New York
‘The balance is a stipend.
‘Golf is a long-established vehicle for good and it’s exciting to imagine the impact the members of the 2025 US Ryder Cup team will deliver for worthy causes and communities across the country, including the many initiatives that support the growth of the game.’
When reports of the new compensation package first emerged last month, Rory McIlroy was one of several European players who said after the first round of the DP World Tour Championship that they did not need a financial incentive to play in the Ryder Cup.
‘I personally would pay for the privilege to play in the Ryder Cup,’ McIlroy told reporters in Dubai.
‘I have come a long way in this, especially with the Olympics, but the two purest forms of competition in our game right now are the Ryder Cup and Olympics, partly because of the purity of no money being involved.’
Tiger Woods also recently broke his silence on the prospect of America’s players being paid for playing in the tournament.
Rory McIlroy had previously said he would pay to play in the Ryder Cup, such is his love for it
Tiger Woods (left) had also spoken out against the decision to pay the players for participating
‘I hope they would get $5m each and donate it all to charity, different charities,’ the golf legend declared during a press conference at the Hero World Challenge.
‘Going back to my playing days, we had the same conversation back in ’99 and it was [that] we didn’t want to get paid, we wanted to give more money to charity, and the media turned it around against us and said we want to get paid,’ Woods added.
‘The Ryder Cup itself makes so much money, why can’t we allocate it to various charities? And what’s wrong with each player, 12 players getting a million dollars and the ability to divvy out to amazing charities that they’re involved in that they can help out?
‘It’s their hometowns, where they’re from, all the different junior golf associations or endeavors that the members are involved in.’
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Team USA makes decision on whether to pay its Ryder Cup stars ahead of 2025 showdown with Europe
