NASSAU, Bahamas – For all the fans who are tired of hearing about purse sizes, player equity and potential deals with foreign investment funds, know that Scottie Scheffler shares your fatigue.
“I think most of the time we just talk about money and how the purses need to be bigger,” said Scheffler, his tongue firmly planted in his cheek, when asked what he and Tiger Woods talked about Wednesday at the Hero World Challenge. “Today we really grinded on the Ryder Cup and how it’s just such BS that we’ve never gotten paid. Tiger was really frustrated, he feels like he hasn’t made enough money in his career.”
Following a report in The Telegraph last month, the fixation on player compensation turned to the Ryder Cup and a potential plan that would pay U.S. players to participate in the matches.
According to the report, the U.S. players would be paid $400,000 next year at Bethpage Black in New York, although it remains unclear if that money would be given to charities or if it would be strictly player compensation (players currently receive $200,000 to designate to charity).
Predictably the report drew a strong response from the European side with Rory McIlroy telling BBC Sports, “I personally would pay for the privilege to play on the Ryder Cup.” Scheffler agreed.
“Every one of our players would pay to play in the Ryder Cup if that’s what was asked of us,” the world No. 1 said. “I think it’s a little bit silly for a tournament that makes hundreds of millions of dollars to ask for the players to pay as well, but I think we all would. I definitely would.”
Justin Thomas sided with Scheffler, although, he seemed to keep the door open for potential payment to U.S. players.
“It’s a weird, touchy subject and you’re kind of damned if you do, damned if you don’t,” Thomas said. “I’m not on the business side of things, but I see both sides. At the end of the day, I think, along with the rest of the United States and Europe, we still love the Ryder Cup and we clearly are going to play regardless. I think it could just be something where some people just feel that that’s what it is and, you know, so be it. I hope to be there no matter what.”
