NASSAU, Bahamas – If the PGA of America is searching for steering in what has develop into a polarizing matter, they may look to the PGA Tour’s coverage on paying gamers to take part within the Presidents Cup.
In keeping with a report in The Telegraph final month, the PGA of America is contemplating a plan to pay gamers $400,000 to take part in subsequent 12 months’s Ryder Cup. The PGA of America declined to touch upon the report and a few of the recreation’s prime gamers weighed in on the subject this week on the Hero World Problem.
“I must say that going again to my taking part in days, we had the identical dialog again in ’99, we didn’t wish to receives a commission, we wished to provide more cash to charity, and the media turned it round towards us and stated we wish to receives a commission,” Tiger Woods stated Tuesday at Albany. “The Ryder Cup itself makes a lot cash, why can’t we allocate it to varied charities?”
However whereas Woods leaned into the notion that any funds to gamers ought to go to a charity or basis there’s hypothesis that gamers can be averse to any stipulations on funds for Ryder Cup participation and the PGA of America has given cash ($200,000 not too long ago) to every Ryder Cup participant to donate to charity since 1999.
The Tour, nonetheless, reached a special resolution when it altered its coverage relating to funds to Presidents Cup gamers in 2022. Every participant, on each the U.S. and Worldwide groups, is given a $250,000 “stipend.”
“The charitable mission of the Presidents Cup stays unchanged, with greater than $55 million donated to charity for the reason that Cup’s inception. The present charitable distribution plan ensures an enduring affect within the host metropolis or area of at the very least $1 million,” a press release from the Tour learn. “As a part of the Tour’s general whole compensation program, distributions for the Presidents Cup have been adjusted to mirror the altering panorama of charitable giving, permitting gamers and captains the pliability to help their respective foundations or private charitable priorities.”
Gamers can use the Presidents Cup stipend for charities or foundations, however it’s not required.
Even when the PGA of America went with an identical coverage to the Tour’s, any change would create an fascinating dynamic between the U.S. workforce and the Europeans, who haven’t pushed for the same fee construction for the Ryder Cup.
“I personally would pay for the privilege to play on the Ryder Cup,” Rory McIlroy instructed BBC Sports activities final month.
Funds from the Ryder Cup in Europe present crucial income for the DP World Tour whereas the PGA of America makes use of its share of the income to help the affiliation’s numerous packages. The PGA Tour does obtain a payment from the PGA of America that’s not directly given to gamers in numerous methods together with the circuit’s profitable retirement program.
