Breeding Greed Or Moving With The Times? Golf Monthly Staff Debate Apparent Inevitability Of Ryder Cup Pay

The argument over whether Ryder Cup players should be paid feels like it has been rumbling on for almost as long as the 97-year event itself.

Those in favor of rewarding the golfers pointing out that the sheer amount of money being generated has to be shared with the heroes of the hour and those against stating that the historic honor of representing your nation (or group of nations) should vastly outweigh one week of pay.

As it stands, neither are paid, but Team USA's dozen receives $200,000 with half going to a charity of their choice and the other 50% heading to a particular golfing initiative chosen ahead of time by the PGA of America.

On the other side of the tee box, Team Europe's men receive a unique gift each time they are called up - such as a personalized Rolex watch - in a tradition kicked off by Tony Jacklin in 1983.

Until now, the discussion over whether a direct check should find its way into the individual players' swollen bank accounts has dealt with hypotheticals and allowed anyone with even a modest interest in the sport to play over-arching commissioner for a moment.

However, a report from The Telegraph's James Corrigan has stated that Ryder Cup golfers - or at least the American ones - are set to be paid to the tune of $400,000 each whenever they pull on the Stars and Stripes moving forward.

Below, four of the Golf Monthly team share their views on Team USA reportedly getting set to earn appearance fees at the Ryder Cup.

Nick Bonfield

I'll admit to being torn on this subject, but my initial feeling was one of disappointment. At a time when many are being turned away from the game because of the incessant and distasteful discourse around money, it's not ideal that the sport's biggest event has succumbed to such rhetoric.

The Ryder Cup is frequently touted as a tournament where players compete for the passion, rivalry and history, which all supposedly transcend remuneration. However, I do understand the arguments for the players being paid.

An awful lot of people and organisations make an awful lot of money from the Ryder Cup, so why shouldn't the main protagonists? They're the foundations upon which the event is built.

But I do hope that if players are paid, they donate their earnings to charity. I'll be surprised if this happens, though – after all, greed tends to breed more greed.

Elliott Heath

Yes, the Ryder Cup makes loads of money for the PGA of America and European Tour. Yes, the players are obviously a big reason for that. But they surely understand that both organizations need the money to help fund their companies and initiatives within the game, whether that’s funding PGA professionals and junior golf or simply keeping the premier European men’s golf circuit healthy?

On the other hand, the PGA of America handing out $5m to its players is still a very small piece of the pie - so that will be the arguments for the reported payments of $400k each.

If it keeps the best players in the match then it is ultimately a good thing for everyone involved, including the fans. Let them be paid if they so choose, move on and get on with the golf.

Matt Cradock

Honestly, when I heard the news my eyes couldn't have rolled back any further... If the report is true, I think it's appalling. To begin with, the Ryder Cup is the only event where money shouldn't be a factor and, once implemented, it will mean that some already-rich sportsmen will just become even more wealthy.

What seems to be forgotten is that fans are forced to fork out a ludicrous amount of money ($750!) just to be present at Bethpage Black to cheer on their side!

The concept of players being paid to represent their nation in the Ryder Cup is wrong, but - in this modern era where money appears to be the only motivation - it's sad but doesn't surprise me. You look back at previous Ryder Cups and it's always been the passion and drama that is the talking point, never the chat about how much $$$ the players would get.

If someone needs a cash incentive to play in the Ryder Cup then, personally, they shouldn't even be there and someone else who wants to do the best for their team, should be.

Jonny Leighfield

This is a really complex subject that has so many different valid and legitimate tangents. Ultimately, I think the theory of golfers simply completing for pride and their country alone is a nice idea, but I'm not really sure it's realistic anymore, unfortunately.

It feels like time has moved past the point of no return in regards to paying athletes. Look at the college NIL deals and even relating to the Olympics, all but a handful of countries pay their athletes for medalling - it's not about the pride of eternally being labelled an Olympic champion anymore.

It could be argued that capitalism is the motive which drives much of the current batch of eight billion or so, and at least some of the golfers competing in the Ryder Cup perhaps rightly believe that they are entitled to even a small drop of the nine-figure profit the PGA of America has recently made from the biennial event.

Maybe the US golfers want to be paid out of principle, which I certainly can understand, but my worry would then be that $400,000 turns into $4 million one day soon, and then it's too late to bolt the horse back inside its stable.

Then again, why should the players not receive some kind of fee from a business which is making in excess of $100 million from it? In the end, as long as money doesn't become the ultimate driving factor for players wanting to make a Ryder Cup team, I'm not sure them being paid is really that big of a deal...