Cash controversy rattled the Ryder Cup. Will it hit the Presidents Cup?

MONTREAL — Twenty-four Presidents Cup golfers, all of whom obtain prize cash most each different week, received’t gather a cent this week upon conclusion of play at Royal Montreal. It says so proper there on the web site of the occasion’s backer, the PGA Tour, beneath “Incessantly Requested Questions,” the place the primary one merely asks: “What’s the Presidents Cup?” 

Right here’s that reply:

“The Presidents Cup is a biennial international staff competitors between the US and an Worldwide staff that represents the remainder of the world excluding Europe. The competitors alternates between venues within the U.S. and abroad. The Presidents Cup is a singular golf occasion in that there is no such thing as a purse or prize cash. Gamers will not be paid for his or her participation, however every competitor allocates an equal portion of the funds generated to charities of his alternative. For the reason that inception of the Presidents Cup in 1994, greater than $56.4 million has been generated from occasion proceeds. Over the previous 25 years, the Presidents Cup has impacted greater than 475 charities in 18 international locations worldwide. Cognizant and Rolex are the unique World Companions of the Presidents Cup.”

That reply, although, raises one other query:

Ought to gamers be paid?

Briefly, it will depend on whom you ask. Most not too long ago, the subject surfaced on the final males’s professional golf staff occasion, the Ryder Cup, the place final September ideas have been shared and hats weren’t worn. Although not new, the difficulty picked up steam on the competitors’s second day, when Sky Sports activities reporter Jamie Weir reported that Patrick Cantlay was desirous to receives a commission, that he was refusing to put on a hat in protest and that the U.S. locker room was fractured. From there, issues snowballed. U.S. gamers balked on the report. Followers at Marco Simone, the host website, mockingly waved their very own caps. A day later, Stefan Schauffele, the daddy of American Xander Schauffele, spoke at size about all of it to GOLF’s Dylan Dethier, saying, “They will donate all proceeds after opening the books to a charity of our joint alternative, after which we are going to fortunately play without cost. Please print that.”

Within the months since, the dialog has continued. Notably, the governing our bodies of the Ryder Cup — the PGA of America on the U.S. facet, and the DP World Tour on the European facet — gather tens of millions from the occasion and distribute the money to their numerous occasions and packages, with gamers given charitable donations of $200,000 apiece. (It’s right here the place it’s best to learn one other splendidly reported story, by GOLF’s Jessica Marksbury, on Ryder Cup cash.) One notable observer, Paul McGinley, who performed in 4 Ryder Cups for the European facet and captained one other, believed that was loads, providing greater than a three-minute thought on the topic, on an look final October on the 5 Golf equipment podcast, the place host Gary Williams requested McGinley this:

“The whiff of compensation, it’s not new. You’ll be able to return to the late ’90s, clearly [Mark] O’Meara, [David] Duval. Do you suppose compensation can be a part of the story at the very least on the American facet by 2025? And do you suppose the Europeans will completely go on the thought of getting paid?”

In response, McGinley stated no, the People alone shouldn’t be paid — nor ought to any Ryder Cupper.

“Personally, I hope it will get to a spot the place neither staff is paid as a result of I feel the cash that prime skilled golfers earn in the intervening time is big on so many various ranges,” stated McGinley, who’s at Royal Montreal this week as a part of Golf Channel’s protection. “They’re all arrange for all times, it doesn’t matter what. When you make a Ryder Cup commonplace these days, you’re arrange for all times anyway, whether or not it’s by way of your pension fund or whether or not it’s within the prize cash you’ve earned. I feel for one event each two years it will be nice to provide again. 

“On the European facet, the DP World Tour wants the income from the Ryder Cup. So it’s serving to all the guys who’re coming by way of. It’s placing occasions on the Problem Tour. It’s placing on respectable prize funds on the DP World Tour. And that’s actually necessary for us. It’s a lifeline for us. And on the American facet, it’s the 28,000 PGA execs round America and giving cash to them in order that they’ll convey younger girls and boys into the sport and create the longer term Patrick Cantlays or future Justin Thomases or no matter. An enormous quantity of funding goes again into it. 

“So I feel either side are honorable when it comes to what they’re making an attempt to do with the revenues that are available. It’s not like some wealthy personal fairness firm is taking the cash and working off into the sundown and giving it to shareholders. That is cash that’s going again on either side again into the sport. It’s going again into the ecosystem on either side that has churned out these gamers within the first place. So I feel for one event each two years, with all the cash that’s within the sport in the intervening time and so crass the amount of cash that’s put to the entrance within the conversations round golf, I feel it will be a beautiful narrative for the way forward for the Ryder Cup if it was not about cash and it was concerning the 24 gamers being consultant, serving to each ecosystems that made them who they’re.”

So the place do issues stand this 12 months on the Presidents Cup, the place 12 American gamers (eight of whom have been on final 12 months’s Ryder Cup staff) meet 12 Worldwide gamers (‘worldwide’ that means gamers outdoors of Europe)? Under is a small sampling of ideas, beginning with Schauffele, who was requested whether or not gamers ought to get prize cash within the Presidents and Ryder Cups, why or why not:

“That query is a little bit of a grenade, to be sincere,” he stated. “I feel there’s no place for a participant to speak about prize cash on this form of occasion. That’s for different folks to resolve. Our desire is our desire. We’re right here and we’re glad to play amongst one another and signify our nation.

“It’s such a scorching subject, however I feel it’s fairly brutal to ask any participant that as a result of there’s no proper reply a participant may give you.”

On Wednesday, three different People — Max Homa, Wyndham Clark and Keegan Bradley — have been additionally requested the query. Homa and Clark performed on final 12 months’s Ryder Cup staff, whereas Bradley is the captain of subsequent 12 months’s Ryder Cup squad. 

Mentioned Homa: “I don’t know. I haven’t actually spent a lot time occupied with it. … Yeah, I may play satan’s advocate to each. One, like these occasions make a ton of cash and we’re on TV enjoying the golf. However on the opposite facet of the coin, I feel we’ve been given a lot as skilled golfers and to get to do that is about as enjoyable as you’ll ever have. So to do it without cost can be effective.

“I get everybody’s viewpoint. I don’t suppose it ought to ever actually be a hot-button subject. I don’t suppose it’s the top of the world both means. I get why there’s — why it could actually turn out to be a speaking level. I simply don’t suppose that it’s a large concern both means.”

Mentioned Clark: “That’s a tricky query. You realize, right here’s what I’ll say: I do know that representing Group USA is a tremendous accomplishment, and we’re all very lucky to have the ability to do this.

“With that stated, I feel there’s some huge cash that’s being made at these occasions. You realize, there’s arguments each methods. All I’ll say is that if Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup goes and makes just a few 100 million and we’re not getting something from it, it appears a little bit unfair. However on the identical time, I simply really feel blessed to be on this staff. I’m going to the Olympics and there’s no cash and I really feel honored to play for Group USA. Actually, I’m type of staying within the center. I get either side. I’m simply glad to be right here.”

Mentioned Bradley: “I feel fortunately these choices aren’t as much as me. I feel we might all do it without cost. I feel we’re, we like to signify the US, what the longer term holds. There’s some huge cash to be made in these occasions for everyone, and in the event that they resolve that’s one of the best ways to do that, then that’s nice.

“These guys don’t — we need to go on the market and play and win this factor. Whether or not it was for some huge cash or no cash, we might present up.”

Requested the query on the Worldwide facet have been Adam Scott, who this week is making his eleventh Presidents Cup look; and Mackenzie Hughes, who’s making his first. To notice, Worldwide gamers play biennially, whereas the U.S. performs a staff occasion yearly. 

Mentioned Scott: “Effectively, in a roundabout means, we type of at all times have benefitted, whether or not it’s with a charitable donation or one thing. And I feel whether or not it’s prize cash or a charitable donation, that’s a sufficiently big gesture for the gamers. 

“We’re skilled golfers. However there’s a stability, as effectively. You realize, we do very effectively on the PGA Tour with prize cash. You realize, there’s components of giving again, whether or not it’s really giving again charitable {dollars} or giving again by displaying up and never competing for prize cash for every week. All of it must be a good stability, is what I feel, and I feel we’re at a spot the place that’s effective.”

Mentioned Hughes: “I don’t suppose so. It’s laborious from my perspective as a result of once more, I’d personally do it as a result of I really like these competitions. I really like the sport. So in the event you stated, hey, you must pay to play on this, I’d like to pay to play on this. However there could be guys, I’m positive, on the opposite facet which have received a number of majors and possibly really feel like they need to be paid to be right here. I by no means really feel that means. I really feel prefer it’s an honor that doesn’t want to return with any financial worth.

“All my recollections from this week are going to be the staff room, enjoying with my teammates, enjoying for Mike, and that was actually why I needed to be right here was to play for Mike, to play in Canada, to have these recollections. That’s value extra to me than something you can pay me.”

Opinions, it’s secure to say, have been various.

Throughout his pre-event press convention on Tuesday, Cantlay wasn’t requested concerning the topic, although Sunday, his Instagram account posted its affection for this 12 months’s clothes provider, saying: “Thrilled that my pals @bdraddy + @zerorestriction have been chosen because the official clothes accomplice for this 12 months’s @presidentscup. They knocked it out of the park with these uniforms – let’s go [American flag emoji]!” It must also be famous that Cantlay is one among six gamers on the PGA Tour’s Coverage Board, and as talked about earlier, the Tour runs the Presidents Cup.  

U.S. captain Jim Furyk, in the meantime, had this trade on Tuesday with the Related Press’ Doug Ferguson, who requested:

“How did you get Cantlay to put on a hat this week?”

Mentioned Furyk, “We lastly had one which had that odd of a form that it will really match on there.”

He added: I feel plenty of it’s our distributors. He wore a hat two years in the past in Charlotte. We had the identical distributors on the PGA Tour, and he appears to be comfy. If my guys are comfy in hats, they’ll put on hats. In the event that they’re not comfy in hats, it doesn’t matter.

“It doesn’t work out too effectively for me, I’ll simply say. [Here, he partially lifted his hat to show his absence of hair.] My head will flip purple after a day, however I would like them comfy. I feel we might each say that the clothes this 12 months, my guys like it.”

Mentioned Worldwide captain Mike Weir, seated to Furyk’s proper: “Yeah, identical. The fellows are glad.”

“Guys are comfy this 12 months,” Furyk stated, “which is very nice.”

Nick Piastowski

Golf.com Editor

Nick Piastowski is a Senior Editor at Golf.com and Golf Journal. In his function, he’s answerable for modifying, writing and creating tales throughout the golf area. And when he’s not writing about methods to hit the golf ball farther and straighter, the Milwaukee native might be enjoying the sport, hitting the ball left, proper and quick, and ingesting a chilly beer to scrub away his rating. You’ll be able to attain out to him about any of those matters — his tales, his sport or his beers — at nick.piastowski@golf.com.