"It's not millions of dollars or anything" - Former PGA Tour pro Hunter Mahan reacts to American Ryder Cup players getting paid

Former PGA Tour pro Hunter Mahan reacted to recent news reports about Ryder Cup players getting paid. James Corrigan of the Telegraph reported that the US players competing at the biennial event would be paid $400,000 each, for the first time in Ryder Cup's history.

The decision was taken by the PGA of America after a protest by Patrick Cantlay in the 2023 Ryder Cup where he refused to wear the Team USA hat during the matches. Xander Schauffele's father Stefan had also urged the authorities to pay the players and called for transparency.

Former World No. 4 Hunter Mahan has shown support for the idea of the Ryder Cup players getting paid. He said, via Golf Monthly:

"I do. It doesn't need to be lot, I mean, it's not millions of dollars or anything, but, I think when your goods and services are being used for someone else's gain, you should be able to sort of recoup some of that money because they're using you, right? So, that's sort of a simple short answer to it."

European players will, however, remain unpaid for representing the continent. Mahan said that the European Tour is "not as fertile" referencing the less revenue it generates in comparison to the PGA Tour and the PGA of America.

Malhan said that the $400,000 isn't significant compared to the overall revenue generated by the PGA of America through the Ryder Cup. He said:

"I don't think the dollar amount is of any real significance in terms of both sides for how much money the PGA of America is going to make, and I think the players just want to feel like 'hey we're not getting used' in sort of this situation."

The 2025 Ryder Cup will be held at Bethpage Black in Farmingdale, New York.

Hunter Mahan says that European players have "affinity" to keep the European Tour going "strong"

Hunter Mahan has competed in three Ryder Cups in 2008, 2010 and 2014. The USA won the tournament in 2008 while losing in 2010 and 2014. Mahan contributed 3.5 points in 2008 while one point in 2010 and 1.5 points in 2014.

Talking to Golf Monthly about the Ryder Cup compensation to players, Mahan said that American players only engage with the PGA of America once a year at the PGA Championship or once every two years in the Ryder Cup so they have less emotional connection.

Talking about European players not getting paid, Mahan highlighted that the European Tour doesn't generate enough revenue and said:

"I think a lot of the European players have an affinity and they have a relationship and they have a will to keep the European Tour going and going very, very strong, which I totally support and totally understand.

"So, it's great to see Rory and Shane speak as they do. And I think a strong European Tour is great for golf and I'm rooting for their success in every way," he added.

Both Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry have said that they will pay to play at the Ryder Cup given the experience of the biennial event.

About the author

Rohit is a Golf writer at Sportskeeda who specializes in PGA Tour coverage. With a Bachelor's degree in Journalism from Delhi University and a Master's degree in Global Studies from Ambedkar University, he has always been passionate about writing on varied topics.

Rohit has over 4 years of prior work experience under his belt. He prioritizes thorough fact-checking of every article he pens with the aim of providing readers with the most accurate and insightful content.

Rohit's favorite celebrity sportsperson is Novak Djokovic; he admires his determination in the face of challenges and fighting spirit. Rohit is an avid reader and when he's not busy reading and writing about the latest developments in the vast world of pop culture and sports, he can be seen absorbed by a book. He also loves playing chess.

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Edited by Hitesh Nigam