The United States Ryder Cup team will be paid to compete in the 2025 edition of the biennial event at Bethpage Black in New York.
The PGA of America has announced that each player to make the 12-person squad, captained by Keegan Bradley, will receive $500,000. Of that half-million dollars, $300,000 will be given to the charity of each player's choice. The players will receive $200,000 as a stipend for competing in the event.
The PGA of America Board of Directors approved the compensation package despite it saying "no players asked to be compensated."
"Golf is a long-established vehicle for good and it’s exciting to imagine the impact the members of the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup team will deliver for worthy causes and communities across the country, including the many initiatives that support the growth of the game," said the PGA of America in a statement announcing the change.
The $300,000 charitable donation represents a $100,000 increase from the $200,000 given to each US player's charity of choice that was established in 1999. American Ryder Cup players, however, have not previously been paid for competing in the event.
However, the Ryder Cup is also an enormous money maker for the PGA of America, which owns the American portion of the event. American TV rights fees and revenue from ticket sales for the three-day event have grown dramatically in the last 25 years. Over that quarter-century, there have been players who have spoken about a desire to be compensated for Ryder Cup participation given how much benefit goes to the PGA of America.
The European Ryder Cup side has not announced a similar compensation package, with several of its players saying they would pay to play in the Ryder Cup. The revenue from the Ryder Cup, particularly when the event is played in Europe, goes a long way in funding the DP World Tour and its operations for four years.
Several European players have commented on the subject, suggesting the idea of paying players could cause a problem for the event.
The 2025 Ryder Cup will be played September 26-28, 2025, at Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, New York.
