Will the day come when players get paid to play in the Ryder Cup? The question remains unanswered, but it certainly feels like we are getting closer to it every day. According to Golfweek, players and captains of the Presidents Cup, from both teams, have been paid $250,000 for participating in the 2022 and 2024 editions.
Previously, it was understood that they received $150,000, which players, captains, and assistants had to donate to a charity of their choice. However, from 2022, the amount was increased by $100,000, and the restriction was removed. Moreover, this remuneration is described as a stipend, meaning it is theoretically to cover the expenses incurred by participants in the Presidents. Obviously, a quarter of a million dollars is far above the expenses that might arise in such a competition.
It should be remembered that the decision to charge or not in the Ryder Cup was one of the most controversial issues in the last edition held in Italy. The debate started in connection with Patrick Cantlay’s cap, or rather the fact of not wearing it during the competition. It was understood as a gesture of protest and demand for golfers to receive payment for participating in this competition, although Cantlay denied this interpretation.
Be that as it may, this possibility has been discussed for some time. There are players, like Jon Rahm, who have often stated that they would always play for free in the Ryder Cup, that they do not need to receive money, although there are also others who believe that something should come to them given the enormous amount of profit generated from this competition.
It is the first time it has been acknowledged that a player receives money without having to justify it in a team competition. It is already happening in the Presidents, and the question now is whether it will eventually happen in the Ryder Cup.
