European players and journalists don’t hold back on their criticism of Team USA Ryder Cup players for getting paid
Team Europe is calling Team USA “ludicrous” for getting paid to play at the Ryder Cup, while the European players insist on playing for pride alone.
The 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black could bring extra pressure on Team USA after the PGA of America introduced new appearance fees for its players. Each American golfer will receive $500,000, with $300k going to charity and $200k directly to the player, marking a major shift from the long-standing $200k charity-only model.
While Team USA captain Keegan Bradley defended the move, calling it a modern update that still benefits charities, European golfers don’t see it that way at all.
Does getting paid mean the Ryder Cup means more to European players than American players?
Team USA has several European critics, like Dame Laura Davies, who slammed the payments as “ludicrous” and warned that it could backfire if they end up struggling on home soil.
Team Europe, led by captain Luke Donald, remains firmly against appearance money, insisting the Ryder Cup is about pride, not pay.
“This isn’t a week to get paid,” said Donald. “We have such strong purpose in this team, what we play for...I feel like if you have those experiences that you remember for the rest of your life, that’s worth more than a couple hundred-thousand dollars in the back of your pocket.”
Wow. The European team has turned down getting paid for the Ryder Cup.
— Rick Golfs (@Top100Rick) September 23, 2025
The US Team fought for money and is now getting paid.
Does this show that the USA Team just doesn’t care as much as Team Europe?
Or just good business by the USA agents?pic.twitter.com/TLJA4zMOKe
Sky Sports analyst Rob Lee even argued that the Ryder Cup doesn’t mean as much to the Americans as it does to the Europeans. He pointed out other reasons, as they are fighting for “their continent and their tour”, but the fact that the Americans are now getting paid just seemed to confirm his belief that Team USA just doesn’t care as much.
🚨🗣️🇪🇺 #MEANS MORE — On @5ClubsGolf, Sky Sports golf analyst Rob Lee tee’d off on the American Ryder Cup team: “This might be unfair… I’ve always had the feeling that the Ryder Cup means more to the European players than it does to the American players… “add to that the fact… pic.twitter.com/uMPphGTcuP
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) September 22, 2025
With record-high ticket prices and memories of past controversies over money, the new stipend could become a distraction and even fuel European motivation, especially if U.S. fans sour on their own team during poor play.
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