World number one Scottie Scheffler has “no problem” with US players being paid to play in the Ryder Cup.
Scheffler earned over $62 million (€58.7 m) in 2024 making his the highest-earning season in PGA Tour history.
But while Europe’s Rory McIlroy said last month he’d pay to play in the Ryder Cup and Scheffler said he had no problem playing for free, he’s not against his teammates getting paid.
“As far as I’m concerned, I think all of us on the American side are more than willing to play in the Ryder Cup for free,” Scheffler said ahead of the 20-man Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas where last place pays $150,000.
“We’ve been playing in the Ryder Cup for free for a long time. And if they want to pay us to play in the tournament, that’s great.”
He added: “The last few years they’ve given us some money that we can give to charity, and if someone doesn’t want to take the money for themselves or if you want to give to charity, do whatever, but I don’t think there’s any problem with guys getting paid to play in the Ryder Cup. I don’t think it takes away from the competition at all.
“As far as I’m concerned, I don’t play golf for money. I’ve been playing golf my whole life for free and the money’s just a bonus. If somebody wants to pay us to come out here and play golf, that’s great, I’m not going to say no to it. I’m going to do the best I can in my community to steward that money well.
“If we’re getting paid to play — should we be getting paid the money we get paid to play in
these tournaments now? We get paid pretty dang well to play in golf tournaments. I want to win just as bad for zero dollars as I do for whatever millions of dollars it is. The money’s not my motivation, it’s not something I think about, it’s just a bonus that happens when you’re out here playing tournaments. It’s a very nice thing to have.
“I think every one of our players would pay to play in the
Ryder Cup if that’s what was asked of us. I think it’s a little bit silly for a tournament that
makes hundreds of millions of dollars to ask for the players to pay as well, but I think we all
would. I definitely would.”
On the DP World Tour, Tom McKibbin will make his first start of the new season at the $6 million Nedbank Golf Challenge at Gary Player Country Club in Sun City where US Ryder Cup star Max Homa defends his title.
Meanwhile, Sara Byrne and Lauren Walsh begin their quests for LPGA Tour cards at the final stage of the Qualifying School in Alabama.
The top 25 and ties after five rounds will be exempt on the LPGA Tour in 2025 but only players assigned female at birth are eligible to compete on the LPGA Tour, Epson Tour, Ladies European Tour, and in all other elite LPGA competitions.
The LPGA and USGA announced separately yesterday that they had changed their gender policies
In a statement the LPGA said that “the effects of male puberty confer competitive advantages in golf performance compared to players who have not undergone male puberty.”