Ryder Cup: the Americans play for the money, the Europeans for the prestige of the competition…

Both present in Dubai for the final of the Race, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry reacted to the rumor according to which the Americans would pocket $400,000 for their participation in the next Ryder Cup in Bethpage (New York) in September 2025.

The war of the worlds! That’s what it’s all about. On the one hand, golfers who compete for their country, the United States, but on condition that they are handsomely “compensated” by the PGA of America. And on the other, golfers who work to defend the prestige of a competition born in 1927, without asking for a single cent of euros in return. Question of mentality!

According to an article in the Telegraph, American players should receive a participation “bonus” of $400,000 for the next USA-Europe showdown in Bethpage (New York) at the end of September 2025.

Interviewed from Dubai where they are contesting the DP World Tour Championshipthe final meeting of the 2023-24 season of DP World Tour, Rory McIlroy et Shane Lowry have commented in their own way on this information, which has not yet been confirmed.

Personally, I would pay for the privilege of playing in the Ryder Cup

Rory McIlroy

« Personally, I would pay for the privilege of playing in the Ryder Cupa soufflé Rory McIlroy. The two purest forms of competition in our sport right now are the Ryder Cup and the Olympics, and it's partly because of that, the purity of the fact that there is no money at stake (…) I don't think any of the 24 players on either team need that $400,000. Every two years there are 104 and 103 weeks where you can play Golf and get paid. »

« What would my position be on this? asks the winner of The Open 2019 au Royal Portrush. I don't care if I got paid or not, to be honest. You know, the Ryder Cup is a privilege, and that's what I work for (…) CThis is why I have worked for the last ten or fifteen years, to be able to participate in Ryder Cups, and I had the chance to do two, to have great experiences and to build my brand by participating at Ryder Cups. It doesn't matter if I get paid or not (…) I would give anything to know that I will be on the team next year. I'm going to spend the next ten months stressing out trying to make the team. »

Photo : Andrew Redington / GETTY IMAGES EUROPE / Getty Images via AFP