{"id":278050,"date":"2025-10-04T21:31:30","date_gmt":"2025-10-04T21:31:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/278050\/"},"modified":"2025-10-04T21:31:30","modified_gmt":"2025-10-04T21:31:30","slug":"do-ryder-cup-players-get-paid-prize-money-explained","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/278050\/","title":{"rendered":"Do Ryder Cup Players Get Paid? Prize Money, Explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Ryder Cup<\/a> is one of the most unusual competitions on the professional golf circuit. For one, it\u2019s a team competition in a sport where athletes usually play solo. Secondly, the tournament only comes around every two years. The location then bounces between the United States and Europe because the two teams are made up of the top American and European golfers.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s where it starts to get tricky. Traditionally, the Ryder Cup does not offer prize money. But when you get to the big leagues, golf is a very lucrative game. Sportico<\/a> estimates that both Spain\u2019s Jon Rahm<\/a> and American Scottie Scheffler<\/a> each took home more than $100 million in combined prize winnings and endorsement earnings last year. Along with the two of them, Rory McIlroy<\/a>, Xander Schauffele<\/a>, Tyrrell Hatton, and Bryson DeChambeau<\/a> all made the top 10 of the world\u2019s top paid golfers\u2014and they\u2019re all on either Team Europe or Team U.S.A.<\/a> at the Ryder Cup this year.<\/p>\n

So one might assume it would be a big deal to forego their time and money for a team trophy.<\/p>\n

\"RyderMichael Reaves\/PGA of America\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Rory McIlroy swings in front of fans on Long Island at the 2025 Ryder Cup.<\/p>\n

But at nearly 100 years old, founded in 1927, Ryder Cup is revered in the sport on both sides of the Atlantic. McIlroy, who won the Masters<\/a> this past spring, said in 2024 that he would<\/a> \u201cpersonally would pay for the privilege to play on the Ryder Cup,\u201d putting it in the same class as the Olympics with \u201cthe purity of no money being involved.\u201d McIlroy was also responding to reports that have now come to fruition: Starting with the 2025 Ryder Cup, for the first time ever in the history of the competition, each of the 12 golfers on Team United States will now receive a total of $500,000 for competing<\/a>; $300,000 of that money will go to a charity (or charities) of the player\u2019s choosing, while the remaining $200,000 is deemed a stipend. The European players will still not be compensated, nor will they offer a charitable component.<\/p>\n

The PGA of America specified that no players asked to be compensated. U.S. team captain Keegan Bradley told the AP in December he plans to donate the entire sum to charity<\/a>, as does Schauffele. \u201cI just see it as a whole lot of money going to charity and we\u2019re going to take a lot of crap,\u201d Schauffele told the AP, referring to a The Daily Telegraph<\/a> report in November that Americans would be paid $400,000 with no mention of a split between charity and a stipend. Schauffele double-downed his stance in the days ahead of the Ryder Cup, as Team Europe captain Luke Donald told Sky Sports<\/a>, \u201cThis isn\u2019t a week to get paid.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"RyderCarl Recine\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

English golfer Tommy Fleetwood and American Xander Schauffele on day one of practice at the Ryder Cup.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou guys keep talking about it and trying to make it this negative thing. It’s whatever everyone views it as,\u201d Schauffele told reporters<\/a> at Bethpage Black on Long Island, New York. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot of pride that comes into playing in one of these, and yes, we\u2019re happy to get paid for this, and yes, I plan on donating it. It\u2019s something that selfishly will make me feel good about what I do.\u201d<\/p>\n

At the last Ryder Cup in Rome, Team U.S., specifically golfer Patrick Cantlay, was at the center of a controversy that became known as \u201cHatgate<\/a>\u201d after reports at the time suggested he played without a hat as a protest for not being paid to play in the Cup. Cantlay later denied this and said the hat provided simply didn\u2019t fit.<\/p>\n

\"Golf:Mondadori Portfolio\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Patrick Cantlay swinging hatless at Rome\u2019s Marco Simone Golf and Country Club in 2023.<\/p>\n

\"RyderJared C. Tilton\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Cantlay, now with a hat, plays from the third tee on a practice day.<\/p>\n

On Tuesday, Cantlay told reporters there will be no issue this go around (he has a hat that fits<\/a>), and that he plans to donate his money to several foundations, including the First Responders Children\u2019s Foundation, the SCPGA Junior Tour, St. Jude and Folds of Honor, per Golf Digest<\/a>. \u201cThis week we’re playing for something bigger than ourselves. We\u2019re playing for our team. We\u2019re playing for our country,\u201d Cantlay told the media at Bethpage Black. \u201cThe little part I can play by putting as many points on the board as possible, that’s where 100% of my focus is.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"RyderMichael Reaves\/PGA of America\/\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Keegan Bradley runs the 18th hole with an American flag during a practice at Bethpage Black.<\/p>\n

Other Americans, past and present, have said it\u2019s not about a payday so much as about having a say in where the money is going. The issue dates back to 1999 when U.S. players such as Tiger Woods and David Duval led an effort questioning how much money the PGA of America was making off the Ryder Cup, which is one of the sporting organization\u2019s most lucrative events<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, the Ryder Cup itself makes so much money, why can\u2019t we allocate it to various charities?\u201d Woods told The Athletic<\/a> in December. \u201cAnd what\u2019s wrong with each player, 12 players getting a million dollars and the ability to divvy out to amazing charities that they\u2019re involved in that they can help out? It\u2019s their hometowns, where they\u2019re from, all the different junior golf associations or endeavors that the members are involved in. It\u2019s never really been about getting paid, it\u2019s how can we allocate funds to help our sport or help things that we believe in back home, because it\u2019s so hard to get onto that team, there\u2019s only 12 guys. What\u2019s wrong with being able to allocate more funds?\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Headshot<\/p>\n

Rachel King (she\/her) is a news writer at\u00a0Town & Country. Before joining\u00a0T&C, she spent nearly a decade as an editor at\u00a0Fortune. Her work covering travel and lifestyle has appeared in\u00a0Forbes,\u00a0Observer,\u00a0Robb Report, Cruise Critic, and\u00a0Cool Hunting, among others. Originally from San Francisco, she lives in New York with her wife, their daughter, and a precocious labradoodle. Follow her on Instagram at\u00a0@rk.passport<\/a>.<\/p>\n