Two prominent members of Europe's Ryder Cup team are rejecting the idea of receiving compensation for taking part in the biennial event against the United States. According to a report in the Telegraph, which revealed that US players could receive compensation of up to $400,000 for the 2025 competition, which takes place from September 26 to 28 at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York, shared Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry share their stance on the matter and why When it comes to the event, their pocketbooks are the least they think about.
“Personally, I would pay for the privilege of playing in the Ryder Cup,” McIlroy said BBC Sport. “The two purest forms of competition in our game right now are the Ryder Cup and the Olympics, and that’s partly because there’s no money involved.”
Although McIlroy and Lowry were not involved in the rumors of wanting to be compensated at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, both McIlroy and Lowry felt affected by the rumors. After a controversial four-ball game Saturday afternoon, McIlroy and Lowry got into an argument with Patrick Cantlay's caddy Joe LaCava.
It was alleged at the time that Cantlay was not wearing his Team USA cap in protest of non-payment. The news leaked through Marco Simone and caused European fans to constantly taunt and harass Cantlay over the matter. On the 18th green, LaCava waved his hat in celebration after a birdie from Cantlay and invaded McIlroy's personal space as he made a putt. The back and forth eventually spilled into the parking lot, where Lowry forced McIlroy into his backup car to defuse the situation.
“I don’t actually care if I did it [get paid] or not, to be honest. “You know, the Ryder Cup is a privilege and I work for it,” Lowry said The Irish Independent. “That's what I've been working for for the last 10, 15 years, to be able to play Ryder Cups, and I've been lucky enough to do two of them, have great experiences doing it and build my brand playing Ryder Cups.” I think yes, I love the tournament and I don't care if I get paid or not.
After hiring its new chief executive, the PGA of America will vote on the salary issue. Regardless of the organization's final decision, the European team will not be involved as the DP World Tour represents the European players when it comes to the Ryder Cup.
“It was a discussion that took place in Rome,” McIlroy said. “I can see the other side of the argument because the Ryder Cup generates a lot of revenue. It is probably one of the five biggest sporting events in the world. So I understand the argument that the talent should or could win.” But the Ryder Cup is so much more than that, especially for the Europeans and this tour.
“We all had a conversation with Luke [Donald] “We've been hearing about it for the last few weeks because obviously we've heard it,” McIlroy continued. “We agreed it would be better to spend $5 million elsewhere on the DP World Tour to support other events or even the Challenge Tour.”
McIlroy and Lowry's views were echoed by teammates Tyrrell Hatton and Robert MacIntyre when asked about the report at the DP World Tour Championship. With just ten months to go until the 2025 competition, it appears that a clear line has already been drawn between the two teams.
“I think we would all be happy with money if it didn't change the dynamic, but the money would really change the dynamic,” McIlroy said. “That’s why I think everyone thinks: Let’s not do this.”
