Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley has backed Rory McIlroy after the Northern Irishman voiced his disapproval at reports that American players will get paid to compete in next year’s contest.
European and US players have long competed in the biennial match play competition for free despite the large swathes of money that the event brings in.
However, reports from The Telegraph suggest that the US team is closing in on an agreement which will see each player receive a payment of $400,000 (£315,000) for competing next year at Bethpage Black.
While the decision is yet to be formally ratified, the issue of payment has long been discussed by American players and was reportedly a topic of unrest at last year’s edition in Rome.
However, several high-profile European players moved quickly to shut down the notion that they will be following in their American opposition’s foosteps.
‘I personally would pay for the privilege to play on the Ryder Cup,’ McIlroy told BBC Sport at this week’s DP World Tour Championship in Dubai.
‘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.
‘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.”
‘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’s refreshing comments struck a chord with former captain McGinely who led Europe to a convincing victory back in 2014.
‘I personally don’t like it,’ McGinley told Sky Sports when asked about the reports of US players getting paid.
‘Look at the bodies who own the Ryder Cup… it’s not like some corporate entity is taking all this money and running away with it. I think it’s a shame that this money is going back into grassroots level and now players are looking for their piece as well.
‘I know they are professional sportsmen but, boy oh boy, are they not getting paid enough money at the moment, with all that’s going on in the game?
‘The players talk a lot about growing the game, and remember they get huge value out of being a Ryder Cup player – me included. The Ryder Cup really has propelled me, in terms of what I’m doing post-career.
‘It’s a huge brand that you get associated with if you happen to be a Ryder Cup player, so it’s not as if they’re getting nothing out of it. Like a lot of things in the game at the moment, it’s a real shame.’
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