For the first time ever, American golfers will be paid for their participation in the Ryder Cup.
A new PGA of America program will provide each member of the U.S. team—12 players and a captain—a $200,000 stipend to go along with $300,000 to be donated to charity. The charity donation is a 50% increase from the standard $200,000 stipend that had been in place since 1999.
The original stipend grew from the U.S. Ryder Cup Outreach Program, and it was split between a college golf program and a charity of the player’s choice. Since 1999, the U.S. contingent has sent more than $30 million to charitable organizations.
Unlike the year-round pro tours, the Ryder Cup is a match-play exhibition event with no prize money or appearance fees. It has been a point of pride for the organizers, with a prior media guide stating that “the Ryder Cup also is among the last great professional sporting events where winning, and not prize money, is the reward.”
The PGA of America also said that “no players asked to be compensated,” and that none were consulted on the decision.
The increase in the stipend comes as the PGA Tour has increased the prize money pool in its competitions as LIV Golf began poaching some of the legacy tour’s biggest talents. The PGA Tour “elevated” 14 events on the calendar, growing the total prize pool of most of them to $20 million, including a $4 million winner’s check. In 2023, the PGA Tour doled out $560 million in prize money.
Previous members of the U.S. team include the world’s current No. 1 player, Scottie Scheffler, who in 2024 made $62.2 million in total—including $29.2 million in prize money, a $25 million bonus for the FedEx Cup playoffs and $8 million as the leader in the Comcast Business Tour Top 10.
According to the Associated Press, U.S. captain Keegan Bradley said he will donate the full $500,000 Ryder Cup stipend to charity.
The 2025 edition will take place at Bethpage Black on Long Island in New York.
