Tiger Woods will not serve as captain of the 2025 US Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black, but he fully supports the players. Woods was once at the forefront of the discussion about paying players competing in the Ryder Cup, voicing his opinion on the issue ahead of the 2024 Hero World Challenge, the event he hosts annually in the Bahamas.
“I have to say, when I looked back on my playing days, we had the same conversation [about players being paid] back in 1999. And it was: We didn't want to get paid, we wanted to donate more money to charity. And the media turned their opinion on us and said we want to get paid,” Woods recalls.
“No, the Ryder Cup itself brings in so much money, why can’t we give it to different charities? And what's wrong with every player getting a million dollars and the opportunity to distribute their stake to great charities? How much can they help? It's because of their hometowns, where they come from, all the different junior golf associations or ventures that members are involved with.
“It was never really about getting paid. It's about how we can provide resources to help our sport or support things we believe in back home – because it's so hard to get on this team; there are only 12 people. What's wrong with being able to do that?” to provide more funding… I hope they get $5 million each and donate it all to charity, different charities. What’s wrong with that?”
Last month, reports emerged that the PGA of America was considering a decision to pay U.S. Ryder Cup players $400,000 for their services at Bethpage Black next fall. This would mark a notable change from the current practice, in which players receive $200,000 to their name, which is then donated to charities and junior golf organizations.
Members of the European Ryder Cup team such as Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry rejected the idea of compensation for the biennial event. The pair felt money would be the least of their minds when donning the blue and gold, insisting they would pay for the privilege of attending the Ryder Cup, rather than the other way around.
“That's fine. That’s their right to say that,” Woods said. “I just think the event is so big that I think we can donate so much money to different charities, and I've been saying that since 1999 when we had the Brookline negotiations. If the Europeans want to pay to be in the Ryder Cup, that is their decision to do so. If it takes place on European soil, it’s a big event for the European Tour in it, so be it.”
Money talk reverberated around the grounds and played a role in a controversial back-and-forth between players at the 2023 Ryder Cup. McIlroy, Lowry and Joe LaCava, Patrick Cantlay's caddy, exchanged words after a heated four-ball match Saturday afternoon – an argument , which trickled down to the parking lot. The two sides have been separated, but they will likely all meet again when the U.S. hosts the Europeans at Bethpage Black on September 26-28, 2025.
