With the progression of time, sport has become a more moneyed enterprise. Like all sports, golfers who played for money have been looked down upon since the start of the game. The issue rears its ugly green head every now and then, most notably in last year’s Ryder Cup when the whole ‘Hat-Gate’ theatrics occurred, and many were quite critical of suggestions to remove the cornerstone of the tournaments, charity, from the event.

The issue has been brought up again by journalists looking for a story in the Presidents Cup as well. The latest is a question asked to Max Homa about the debate over earnings. Max Homa stayed calm and honest, answering, “I haven’t really spent much time thinking about it. I mean, could, yeah, I could play devil’s advocate to both.”

On the one side, he said events like the Presidents Cup and Ryder Cup bring in a lot of money, and as the people who bring the people in, the golfers can be said to deserve to be paid. But, on the other hand, he said, “I think we have been given so much as professional golfers and to get to do this is about as fun as you’ll ever have. So, to do it for free is also fine.”

Surely, it must be a dream come true for any top-tier athlete to be paid to play the sport. The question of finances, though, will always be present when we live in a capitalist society that prioritizes capital over labor. Indeed, even the argument golfers use for more pay falls on a prioritization of capital, ‘we bring the money, hence, we should be paid more.’

Homa also said that this is not an issue as big as people make it out to be, saying, “I get why it can become a talking point. I just don’t think it’s a massive issue either way.” Seeing the backlash to accusations of golfers asking to be paid more instead of the money going to the organizers and then to charities, Homa has astutely answered in a way that keeps everyone happy. But the question remains: where does the money from the tournament go?

Who gets what from the Presidents Cup?

With six of the top 10 players on the OWGR playing at the Presidents Cup, there is going to be a lot of money raised. The money comes in from sponsors and exclusive broadcast deals with the organizers. This year the sponsors list includes Rolex, 1Password, and Cognizant which are multimillion-dollar corporates. Other sponsors include B. Draddy, Zero Restriction, and Coca-Cola. Ticket sales also contribute to the proceeds. Since 1994, $56.4 million has been raised by the Presidents Cup.

Players receive no money to participate, nor is there any prize money. However, the 24 players receive the funds equally to donate to a charity of their choice. The donations in previous years have been made to 475 charities in 18 countries. In 2022, it was announced that $2 million was the overall charitable donation given to local non-profit organizations in the host city. The incoming patrons will also contribute to the economy of the host city, in this case, Montreal.