History of Ryder Cup Players Being Paid & Why This Year Is Different

A new tradition may have begun in terms of compensation for Team USA.

The 2025 Ryder Cup Team USA players will earn a salary for the first time in tournament history. / Lucas Boland-Imagn Images

This year marks the 45th edition of the Ryder Cup, the golf competition between Team USA and Team Europe. The tournament tees off on Friday, Sept. 26 at the Black Course of Bethpage State Park in Farmingdale, New York.

In the tournament's long history, players have never been officially paid by the Ryder Cup. That is, until this year. Team USA is earning a salary for the first time in Ryder Cup history.

So, what is the history there with salaries, and why is this year going to be different? Here's what you need to know.

History of Ryder Cup Players Being Paid

Back in 1999, a few Team USA members—Mark O’Meara, Tiger Woods and David Duval, to name a few—helped start a conversation surrounding compensation for Ryder Cup participants. The team questioned where the funds from the tournament and the PGA of America were going.

This debate made a real change. Players started being paid $200,000, but it all was donated to a charity of their choice. The charity donation has been part of the Team USA's tradition since then.

Paying Players Surprisingly Becomes a Spotlight Issue in 2023

At the last Ryder Cup in 2023, there was a bit of a controversy surrounding Patrick Cantlay not wearing his Team USA hat during competition. Jamie Weir of Sky Sports reported at the time that Cantlay not wearing the hat was an act of protest in response to Team USA players not being paid. Cantlay denied that reasoning then, and repeated the same this year, telling fans that he didn't wear the hat because it didn't fit him. It had nothing to do with the money.

“Like I’ve said a million times, the hat didn’t fit last year, and this year we worked with them to make sure we had one, and we got one, so we’re good,” Cantlay said.

However, last season, PGA of America voted to begin paying the golfers outside of just the charity donations. Ryder Cup Europe ultimately decided to not be paid for the Ryder Cup—their money instead goes straight to funding the European Tour. It doesn't seem like it was a priority for Team Europe to be paid, and at least not any time soon.

Why This Year's Ryder Cup Payment Is Different

The PGA of America decided last year to begin paying players $200,000 each to go to their actual pockets, while they will continue the tradition of giving now $300,000 each to a charity of the player's choice.

The big debate after this news was what the players would do with that extra $200,000. It's not like they're struggling to make money.

But, it sounds like a lot of the Team USA golfers are going to donate the rest of that money to a charity of their choice as well. So far Cantlay, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele have all publicly said they plan to donate the rest of the cash to charity.

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