Players selected to the U.S. Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black next year will receive an additional $200,000 from the PGA of America. channel rex hoggard.
The new plan, approved by the PGA of America's Board of Directors, increases the amount players will receive in charitable contributions from $200,000 to $300,000. Participants will also receive an additional $200,000 in “scholarships” that do not have to be directed toward charity.
“People think of the PGA as a big organization, but in reality we have 41 sections. All we're trying to do is grow the game,” said PGA President Don Rea. told.
“The Ryder Cup is a great international tournament, but at the end of the day it's just one of the ways the PGA helps grow the game. We're just trying to do good with the money we have. The message was to grow the game and support charities. Our players are our members and we treat them the same way we treat all of our members.”
The Ryder Cup has become a cash cow for the PGA of America, as evidenced by the high ticket prices for next year's Long Island tournament. Prices for Friday, Saturday and Sunday games started at $750 per ticket, an eye-watering number for many golf fans. However, tickets sold out quickly, proving that demand exceeded cost. Some lucky ticket holders then sold their tickets on the secondary market, and prices soared by more than four digits. The PGA of America will generate more revenue on Long Island next year, as corporate hospitality at Bethpage Black is also sold out.
The event brings in significant revenue for the organization, so some players feel they deserve to be rewarded for their participation. At the end of the day, it's the players who make the Ryder Cup what it is. However, this issue has plagued the US side for nearly 25 years. Some insist on direct payments, others do not. Still, U.S. players each receive $200,000 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, there was an outpouring of anger over “hatgate.” Patrick Cantlay refused to wear a hat to protest the PGA's failure to compensate players, according to reports in Europe. Cantlay has since refuted that idea numerous times, but the 2023 Ryder Cup will likely be best remembered for what happened Saturday. When Cantlay finished his round, fans serenaded him, shouting his name while waving their hats in disgust, and accusing the Americans of wanting money to play. The scene became even more memorable on the 18th green. Cantlay hit a 30-foot hole for birdie and won the match. So caddy Joe LaCava celebrated by waving his hat, which was a direct repudiation of the Europeans. But his actions almost led to Rory McIlroy's putt to tie the score. The incident left McIlroy shaken and he was then forced to stop in the parking lot.
Despite this, Hoggard said “no players were asked to be compensated” for their participation and the PGA of America did not consult any players about the change. This announcement will be made in one week sports illustrated Report outlining the letter From former US Ryder Cup captain to PGA of America. The letter opposed athletes receiving additional compensation and asserted their passion for the sport.
Meanwhile, European teams do not receive any payments from the DP World Tour, which promotes hosting the Ryder Cup from Europe. Instead, the revenue generated supports the circuit formerly known as the European Tour, which has struggled compared to the PGA Tour in recent decades.
But European players never cared about that.
“I personally pay for the privilege of playing in the Ryder Cup.” McIlroy told BBC Sport. last month.
“Right now, the two purest forms of competition in our game are the Ryder Cup and the Olympics, and that's partly due to the purity of the fact that there's no money involved.”
The professional golf world seems to revolve around money, money, and more money. The same goes for the Ryder Cup, which is supposed to revolve around passion, glamour, and rivalries. But this awkward difference between the U.S. and European teams only adds to the intrigue, with tensions rising as next year's Ryder Cup approaches.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
