Rory McIlroy Had Honest Admission About Players Being Paid for Ryder Cup

The seven-time European Ryder Cupper doesn't believe players need to be compensated for participation in the matches.

Rory McIlroy celebrates after a putt during the 44th Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club. / Kyle Terada-Imagn Images

The PGA of America is reportedly planning for members of the 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup team to be paid $400,000 to tee it up at Bethpage Black.

Rory McIlroy, the stalwart of the European Ryder Cup team, believes that transaction should be the other way around.

“I personally would pay for the privilege to play on the Ryder Cup,” the Northern Irishman said
to BBC Sport after his opening round Thursday at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.

In response to the report broken by The Telegraph that the U.S. team could be paid, McIlroy scoffed.

“The two purest forms of competition in our game right now are the Ryder Cup and the Olympics, and it's partly because of that, the purity of no money being involved,” he said.

“I don't think any of the 24 players on either team needs that 400 grand. Every two years, there are 104 weeks and 103 weeks you can play golf and get paid.”

McIlroy acknowledged that the talk about money for Ryder Cup participation was prevalent at the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome.

“I can see the other side of the argument because the Ryder Cup does create a lot of revenue, he said. “It is one of the probably top five biggest sporting events in the world. So I get the argument that the talent should be or could be getting paid.

“But the Ryder Cup is so much more than that, especially to the Europeans and to this tour.”

McIlroy was the leading point scorer in Rome for the victorious Europeans in 2023 and will assuredly be making his 8th Ryder Cup appearance next year.

Irishman Shane Lowry commented on the matter as well while playing in Dubai.

“I think, yeah, I love the tournament, and I just want to be involved. I don't care whether I get paid or not," Lowry told the Irish Independent.

So far, the leaders of the European side seem to be in alignment on their opinion on potentially being paid for the Ryder Cup.