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Playing for pay at the Presidents and Ryder Cups? Stipends are becoming the new norm at the Presidents Cup, and the Ryder Cup may soon follow suit

Playing for pay at the Presidents and Ryder Cups? Stipends are becoming the new norm at the Presidents Cup, and the Ryder Cup may soon follow suit

MONTREAL – Money makes the world go round, and in recent years, we’ve witnessed how greed is negatively impacting golf. This influence is evident even in the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup, team events that traditionally do not offer a purse.

Golfweek has learned that the 24 players and nine captains who participated in last month’s Presidents Cup received a stipend of $250,000 each, which they can use at their discretion. This marks a shift from past decades when players weren’t paid for their participation but instead allocated their earnings to charities of their choice.

“As part of the Tour’s overall compensation program, distributions for the Presidents Cup have been adjusted to reflect the changing landscape of charitable giving, allowing players and captains the flexibility to support their respective foundations or personal charitable priorities,” the Tour stated to Golfweek.

Since its inception in 1994, the Presidents Cup has generated $56.4 million in charitable donations, including a guarantee of at least $1 million to the host site since 2022. While this is commendable, in earlier years, the PGA Tour proudly highlighted the charitable contributions made by its players. As recently as 2019, the event media guide detailed each player’s charity donations since 1994, showcasing contributions from notable figures like Tiger Woods, Mike Weir, Fred Couples, Ernie Els, Webb Simpson, and Justin Thomas.

When I tried to find similar information this year, hoping to spotlight a player like Scottie Scheffler, I uncovered a larger story: Presidents Cup team members, including captains and assistant captains, are no longer required to make charitable donations, although those interviewed by Golfweek claimed they still intended to do so.

Before 2022, each player, captain, and assistant received $150,000 to donate to charities of their choice. Since 2022, players and captains now receive $250,000, which they can use as they wish, without disclosing their allocations. According to several Team USA members, this change was made to relieve the Tour of coordinating and reimbursing travel expenses for support teams—coaches, trainers, family, etc.—placing the responsibility on players to manage their stipends. However, the new stipend of $250,000 is comparable to top-10 earnings at the Zozo Championship last week, or the FedEx Cup bonus for No. 31 player Brian Harman. An extra $100,000 should adequately cover expenses while still allowing players to contribute generously to charity.

Does this shift relate to the emergence of LIV Golf and the increased leverage of players? The timing of this change—coinciding with the rise of LIV Golf—suggests that the top pros received various concessions to retain their loyalty, and this adjustment may have been easily approved by senior management without needing board-level scrutiny. The lack of communication surrounding this change raises further questions.

The PGA Tour did not answer specific inquiries but provided a statement highlighting the Presidents Cup’s impact over the past 25 years on more than 475 charities in 18 countries. Many Tour players continue to support local charities, and the Tour has committed to giving back to the host community.

“The charitable mission of the Presidents Cup remains unchanged,” the Tour’s statement said. “The current charitable distribution plan guarantees a lasting impact in the host city or region of at least $1 million,” according to Matt Rapp, the Tour’s Senior Vice President of Championship Management, which oversees the Presidents Cup and other prominent Tour events.

In 2022, the Presidents Cup contributed a total of $2 million to charity, primarily benefiting local Charlotte-based organizations, including $575,000 directed to the Charlotte Mayor’s Racial Equity Initiative (MREI). Earlier this year, the Presidents Cup also made a $100,000 donation to the Montreal Canadiens Children’s Foundation.

The statement concluded: “As part of the Tour’s overall total compensation program, distributions for the Presidents Cup have been adjusted to reflect the changing landscape of charitable giving, allowing players and captains the flexibility to support their respective foundations or personal charitable priorities.”

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It remains unclear who initiated the increase from $150,000 to $250,000 and the transition to a stipend that allows players the option not to donate to charity. Are sponsors like Cognizant and Rolex aware that competitors are no longer required to allocate a portion of their earnings to charities of their choice? Furthermore, what impact will this change have on the Ryder Cup?

At the Presidents Cup, Golf.com’s Nick Piastkowski posed a question to several players during their press conference regarding whether they should be compensated for participating in these biennial events.

“That question is a bit of a grenade, to be honest,” said Xander Schauffele. “I think there’s no place for a player to discuss prize money in this context. That’s for others to decide. Our preferences are our preferences. We’re here and happy to play among each other and represent our country.

“It’s such a hot topic, but I think it’s a bit brutal to ask any player that because there’s no right answer.”

Max Homa offered his perspective as well: “I don’t know. I haven’t really spent much time thinking about it. I could see both sides. On one hand, these events generate a lot of revenue, and we’re the ones on TV playing golf. On the other hand, we have already been given so much as professional golfers, and getting to participate in these events is incredibly enjoyable. So, doing it for free is also acceptable.

“I understand everyone’s point of view. I don’t think it should be a hot-button issue, nor do I see it as a crisis either way. I get why it can spark conversation, but I just don’t think it’s a massive issue.”

This topic certainly gained attention at the recent Ryder Cup. In Rome, which hosted the event in 2023, U.S. players received $200,000 to donate to charities of their choice. With ticket prices for the 2025 edition at Bethpage Black skyrocketing to $750 for weekend access, questions arise regarding what this means for the players’ share. A PGA of America official stated that the organization is “currently reviewing that program and will make an announcement before the beginning of the year.”

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