The magic of the Ryder Cup threatened by king money

Like the America’s Cup in sailing, the Ryder Cup in Golf occupies a special place in the sporting world. In an ultra-individual sport, it is played as a team. The United States, on one side; the Europeans, on the other. And, in a discipline driven by money as king, it competes only for glory and honor. Without the slightest prize money for carrot. This is what has shaped its legend and its magic since the first edition of 1927. This shows that the recent rumors which suggest that American players have asked to be paid from the 2025 edition are causing controversy in behind the scenes. Golf is, along with tennis and F1, the individual sport where the champions are best paid throughout the season. In 2024, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has earned over $30 million. The US stars can therefore perfectly ignore a week of competition and a victory bonus estimated at $400,000. Especially since the Ryder Cup implicitly provides them with enormous dividends in terms of notoriety, advertising and sponsorship. But, clearly, on the other side of the Atlantic, volunteering is no longer very trendy, even to defend the star-spangled banner. Europeans do not have the same mentality. “I would pay out of my own pocket to play in the Ryder Cup, it’s such a privilege,” confided Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy, speaking for all his teammates.