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Just last month, word began to circulate that the PGA of America planned to begin paying players to participate in the Ryder Cup for Team USA. Reports suggested that players would make $400,000 to represent the red, white and blue after alleged complaints from American players in 2023.
Of course, this drew some interesting responses from European counterparts Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry. Both Irishmen said that they feel playing in the Ryder Cup is an honor and that they would never ask to be paid. McIlroy went so far as to say he’d pay for privilege to be on the European team.
“I personally would pay for the privilege,” he told BBC Radio via the Irish Independent.“I’ve talked about this a lot. I think the two purest forms of competition in our game right now are the Ryder Cup and the Olympics. And it’s partly because of that, the purity of no money being involved.”
Tiger Woods Speaks Out On Ryder Cup ‘Pay For Play’ Proposal
So, what does Tiger Woods think of this all? The 15-time major winner was previously at the center of similar discussion all the way back in 1999. On Tuesday, he offered his view of the situation with an interesting catch.
“We didn’t want to get paid; we wanted to give more money to charity,” Woods said ahead of this week’s Hero World Challenge, which he will host but not play in. “The media turned it around against us and said we want to get paid. No, the Ryder Cup makes so much money, why can’t we allocate it to various charities?
“What’s wrong with each player, 12 players, getting a million dollars and doling it out to any amazing charities that they’re involved in, that they can help out in their hometowns, all the different junior golf associations or endeavors that the members are involved in?
“We allocate funds to build help our sport or help things that we believe in back home because it’s so hard to get onto that team. There are only 12 guys.”
The PGA of America currently gives each Team USA member $200,000 toward a charity of their choosing. That policy began in 1999, as Woods mentioned. But the new proposal said nothing about charitable donations.
Woods, however, made his stance clear.
“Make it clear that whatever money they get will go to charity,” he said. “I hope they get $5 million each and donate it all to charity, different charities. I think it’s great.”