For all its history, the Ryder Cup has been about pride and patriotism. Every two years, 24 players from Europe and the USA compete, not for the money but for the honor. However, the monetary aspects have been the talk of the golf world for quite some time now. The 2023 Ryder Cup to be precise.

Sky Sports reported in Rome at Marco Simone that Patrick Cantlay was not wearing his team hat to protest the no-pay part. It was allegedly stated that he did so because he believed players should be paid for playing in the Ryder Cup. It seems that it has worked because the PGA of America is proposing to pay each of the 12 golfers on the US team at Bethpage Black $400,000. This was brought to light amid the Hero World Challenge. At the post-round presser on Thursday, he was asked about his stance on being paid at the Ryder Cup, and looks like he already had an answer ready.

Taking to this, Patrick Cantlay said, “My thoughts on the Ryder Cup are really simple: I’m there to represent my country and I’m there to win points for my teammates and that’s it.” When asked if the false accusations frustrated him, and does he wants to get paid, he cleverly enough, added, “I think that’s a media narrative and I’m not going to fall into that.” Justin Thomas said the same thing that this entire fiasco “was started by the media.” 

Even earlier, Cantlay refuted the report, calling it “the furthest thing from the truth” and clarifying that he wasn’t protesting anything. He explained that he chose not to wear a hat because it didn’t fit and had planned to go without one throughout the week. In a recent interview, he reiterated, “I would never, never do a silent protest.”  

Cantlay’s friend, Justin Thomas also spoke about the matter and said that the only reason the former does not wear a hat was because his head is shaped weirdly, and it’s difficult to find a hat that fits properly. JT revealed that he and Cantlay still joke about the whole incident because it was far from the truth and exaggerated so much when it shouldn’t be.

As it turns out, Patrick Cantlay is not the only one associated with the latest report. Even Tiger Woods gave his two cents on the matter while discussing matters with Scottie Scheffler during the 2024 Hero World Press Conference in Albany on Tuesday.

Tiger Woods believes players should be paid for the money to go to charity

Unlike Patrick Cantlay, Tiger Woods shared how he wanted the American Ryder Cup team players to get paid. But his conditions were a little out of the box. He stated his desire for the money to go to the charity of their choice. “It’s never really been about getting paid,” Woods explained. “It’s how can we allocate funds to help our sport or help things that we believe in back home because it’s so hard to get onto that team; there are only 12 guys. What’s wrong with being able to allocate more funds?” 

Well, the Ryder Cup will be making more money than ever, which will help in creating new revenue records for sure. The tickets for a one-day show itself cost a whopping $750, and according to the 15X Major Champion, when the organization is already making so much money, they might as well use it for a noble cause.

“I hope they would get $5 million each and donate it all to different charities,” Woods added. He questioned what was wrong with each of the 12 players receiving a million dollars, along with the opportunity to distribute the funds to the charitable causes they support. He pointed out that the money could benefit their hometowns and various junior golf associations.

Do you think the Ryder Cup should start introducing payments? Let us know in the comments section below!