Luke Donald has revealed that Group Europe’s gamers rejected any risk of getting paid to characteristic on the Ryder Cup, regardless of Group USA receiving a charge to characteristic at Bethpage Black.
The PGA of America introduced final 12 months that American gamers would obtain $500,000 to symbolize Group USA on the Ryder Cup, with $300,000 (£222,000) donated to a charity of their alternative and a $200,000 (£144,000) ‘stipend’ to spend how they need.
This week’s occasion in New York marks the primary time in Ryder Cup historical past that the extra fee will likely be supplied to American gamers, with the pay-to-play debate dominating early build-up to the biennial contest.
Keegan Bradley defended the funds Group USA will obtain for taking part in within the Ryder Cup, including that among the cash will go to charity, together with his full charge as captain
Rory McIlroy has beforehand acknowledged he would “pay for the privilege to play” within the Ryder Cup, with Donald ‘proud’ of his European gamers for his or her method on whether or not they need to be financially rewarded for taking part in.
“This [payment] got here up and I needed to get forward of it and discuss to the 12 guys in Rome when it appeared just like the US had been going to do one thing totally different with funds,” Donald informed Sky Sports activities.
“Each one in every of them was similar to ‘we do not wish to receives a commission – this is not every week to receives a commission’. We’ve got such a robust goal on this crew and what we play for.
“To be trustworthy, we reinvest a few of that cash again into the expertise of those guys. I really feel like in case you have these experiences that you just keep in mind for the remainder of your life, that is price greater than a pair hundred thousand {dollars} at the back of your pocket.
“For me, I used to be very pleased with the fellows. The beliefs of how this Ryder Cup was arrange again within the Nineteen Twenties by Samuel Ryder and I believe he would have been proud too.”
Andrew Coltart, Dame Laura Davies and David Howell focus on Group USA’s choice to pay its Ryder Cup gamers for participation on this 12 months’s event
Bradley: ‘Lots of good goes to come back from this’
A $200k charitable donation has been allotted to every American Ryder Cup participant since 1999, when Tiger Woods, Mark O’Meara and David Duval had been amongst these to query how earnings constituted of the Ryder Cup had been dispersed and whether or not a charge needs to be given.
That determine has remained the identical ever since and is lower than the $250k given to gamers from each groups on the Presidents Cup – run by the PGA Tour – final September, with Bradley supporting the change and backing his gamers to make use of the elevated cash for good.
Luke Donald and Keegan Bradley addressed the media on Monday forward of the Ryder Cup in New York
“I am not involved about what Europe does or what they assume,” Bradley insisted. “I am involved about what my crew is doing. I used to be tasked with a job the PGA of America requested me to do, and this was what we determined.
“We needed to carry the Ryder Cup into right this moment’s age and we felt like this was one of the simplest ways to do it. We copied a variety of what the Presidents Cup does. We did the perfect we might, and I believe a variety of good goes to come back from this. I believe the gamers are going to do a variety of good with this cash, and I believe it is nice.”
The change, which has divided opinion, comes when gamers are enjoying for large prize purses and in a 12 months the place tickets are at a document excessive, with costs beginning at $750 – together with meals and mushy drinks – for every of the competitors days.
“I do not actually get that [bad optics],” Bradley added. “I believe the purpose right here was that the charity {dollars} hadn’t been raised in 25, 26 years and that is what we began out doing.
Will Luke Donald lead Group Europe to a historic Ryder Cup victory over Group USA at Bethpage Black? Watch this 12 months’s contest dwell from September 26-28 on Sky Sports activities Golf
“We did a variety of what the Presidents Cup did and these gamers are going to do the proper factor and do a variety of actually good with this cash. I believe that the gamers are actually good individuals and are going to do a variety of good issues.”
When is the Ryder Cup dwell on Sky Sports activities?
There will likely be prolonged dwell protection from daily of Ryder Cup week, the place Group Europe look to regain the trophy with a historic away win in the USA.
Round the clock protection of the opening day’s play will start with dwell build-up from 9am on Friday September 26, forward of full protection from noon and the opening tee shot at 12.10pm. Not acquired Sky? Get Sky Sports activities or stream with no contract on NOW.
