Luke Donald secured four Ryder Cup victories as a player between 2004 and 2012.
European captain Luke Donald has asserted that his team is “fuelled by something money can’t buy,” in remarks widely interpreted as a veiled critique of their American counterparts amidst heightened Ryder Cup tensions.
Each of the 12 members of the American team, along with captain Keegan Bradley, is reportedly receiving $500,000 (£370,000), with $300,000 (£220,000) earmarked for donation to a charity of their choosing.
This marks the first instance in the tournament’s 98-year history that players have been financially compensated for participation. European players, in contrast, are not paid.
“[The Ryder Cup] is not about prize money or ranking points, it’s about pride, representing your flag, your shirt and the legacy you leave behind,” Donald stated during Wednesday’s opening ceremony.
“We are fuelled by something money can’t buy – purpose, brotherhood and a responsibility to honour those who came before us while inspiring those whose time is yet to come.”
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Earlier, Collin Morikawa downplayed the notion that the US players’ compensation might diminish their desire to win compared to the unpaid European team.
Asked to quantify the appropriate compensation for each American player, Morikawa responded: “There’s no number. It could be zero. It could be one dollar. There isn’t a right or a wrong amount.
“Look, I think at the end of the day, all 12 of us here playing when we tee it up on Friday, and before this all started, we just want to win the Ryder Cup.
“We want to win it for ourselves. We want to win it for our country.”
The American players’ compensation has drawn considerable scrutiny, with critics suggesting it conflicts with the traditional ethos of the Ryder Cup.
Detractors further contend that the players, who already earn substantial incomes from tours, have no need for additional financial incentives.
Former European Ryder Cup player Darren Clarke has previously stated that the concept of being paid to participate in the tournament “does not sit well” with him, while former European captain Paul McGinley has described the move as “a massive mistake.”
American player Xander Schauffele accused the media of attempting to portray the issue as “a negative thing.”
Morikawa, who won The Open in 2021, suggests that the financial support allows players to assist individuals they “care about.”
“I think the PGA of America is making a lot of money from the Ryder Cup and I think on that end, it’s just to give us an opportunity to either pay our respective teams, because look, the teams behind us, they don’t get the recognition that we do but they deserve a lot of it that we get,” he added.
“Also just to give back to our own communities, right. We have a lot of communities back home that sometimes don’t get the recognition.”
Morikawa is the latest American player to minimize the significance of the appearance money.
Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, and Schauffele stated on Tuesday that they would be donating the full $500,000 to charity.
Not all US players have disclosed their plans for the funds.
“It gives us more opportunities, I think, to help out people that we care about,” Morikawa said.
Collin Morikawa is one of the 12 American players receiving $200,000 to play
Europe’s Justin Rose has stated that he would welcome the opportunity to see US President Donald Trump present the Ryder Cup to the visiting team on Sunday.
Trump, a known golf enthusiast, is scheduled to attend the opening day of the tournament on Friday.
While he is not currently slated to be at Bethpage over the weekend, he recently presented Chelsea with the football Club World Cup trophy in New Jersey and attended the US Open men’s tennis final earlier this month.
Should Trump decide to attend again on Sunday, Rose indicated he would not object to the president handing over the trophy to the Europeans in the event of an away victory.
“I’m not sure he’s going to want to be on the stage congratulating the team that wins in his backyard,” added the Englishman.
“But of course, he’s the president, so [he gets] ultimate respect, and that would be a great opportunity.”
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