Americans getting paid to play the Ryder Cup has become one of golf’s most hot-button topics.
Xander Schauffele has weighed in, saying he won't pocket anything from the matches.
“I just see it as a whole lot of money going to charity and we’re going to take a lot of crap,” Schauffele told the Associated Press.
In December, the PGA of America announced a compensation plan that will pay each member of the U.S. team $500,000, with $300,000 earmarked for charity. Therefore, players could keep the remaining $200,0000.
European Ryder Cuppers have denounced the payment. Rory McIlroy told BBC in November, “I don’t think any of the 24 players on either team needs that $400,000. Every two years, there are 104 weeks and 103 weeks you can play golf and get paid.”
But Schauffele, the reigning PGA Championship and British Open champion, sees it positively.
“I’m looking at it as an opportunity to give away more money,” the world No. 2 said. “It’s never going to be perceived that way, just with how the media talks about stuff and how things shook down in Italy. It’s going to go to charity. I spoke to Keegan (Bradley) and he had a plan before, and that got blown up by the leak of the whole thing.
“Keegan had a plan to get all the boys to do something really nice. And now everyone is pointing fingers on how this thing has shaken down. Learning from the PGA Tour, we’re going to give back to the community however we can help, whether it’s the fire department or NYPD or you name it. Keegan is from the Northeast, and we’ll take his lead.”
The pay-for-play issue became prevalent leading into the 1999 Ryder Cup. Mark O’Meara, one of the players who brought awareness to the topic along with David Duval and Tiger Woods, recently told SI that his stance cost him a shot at being captain.
It was reported during the 2023 Ryder Cup that Patrick Cantlay played hatless in protest of not being paid (which Cantlay denied).
Asked by the AP about the stipend, Cantlay only had one thing on his mind regarding the Ryder Cup, set for September at Bethpage Black in New York.
“When it comes to the Ryder Cup, I’m fully focused on representing my country and winning points for my teammates,” Cantlay said. “Right now, I’m focused completely on trying to make the team.”
And Schauffle believes this controversy will only improve the biennial competition.
“The way the whole thing is shaking down, it’s good for this big rivalry. And it’s going to be better for the Ryder Cup,” he said. “Whenever there’s like a feud, what happens? It juices everything up around it. The Ryder Cup is going to do better because of this thing.”
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Xander Schauffele Says U.S. Will ‘Take a Lot of Crap’ for Ryder Cup Payments.
