Tiger Woods was just 23 when he, along with Mark O’Meara and David Duval, caused controversy for suggesting that players should be paid to play in the Ryder Cup ahead of the now infamous contest at Brookline in 1999.
More than a quarter of a century later, the issue continues to court controversy and recent reports suggest that the United States side are set to be paid roughly $400,000 each to play at Bethpage in 2025.
Woods, speaking to the media ahead of the Hero World Challenge where he is on site as tournament host but not yet ready to compete, has defended the position and refutes that greed played any part in the move back in 1999.
“Well, I would have to say that going back to my playing days, we had the same conversation back in ’99 and it was we didn’t want to get paid, we wanted to give more money to charity, and the media turned it around against us and said we want to get paid,” he replied when asked his opinion about the players being paid next year.
“No, the Ryder Cup itself makes so much money, why can’t we allocate it to various charities? And what’s wrong with each player, 12 players getting a million dollars and the ability to divvy out to amazing charities that they’re involved in that they can help out? It’s their hometowns, where they’re from, all the different junior golf associations or endeavors that the members are involved in.
“It’s never really been about getting paid, 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’s only 12 guys. What’s wrong with being able to allocate more funds?”
“I hope they would get $5 million each and donate it all to charity, different charities. I think it’s great. What’s wrong with that?” he added when asked if it should be made clear that the money would be going to charity as opposed to lining the players’ pockets.
In response to the initial reports of a U.S. ‘Pay-For-Play’ Ryder Cup model, several Europeans including Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry reaffirmed their belief that Europeans would happily continue to provide their talents free of charge, with the former even claiming that he’d be willing to pay for the privilege.
“That’s fine, that’s their right to say that,” Woods explained. “I just think that the event is so big that I think that we can give so much money to different charities, and I’ve said that since ’99 when we had the Brookline negotiations. If the Europeans want to pay to be in the Ryder Cup, that’s their decision to do that, that’s their team. I know when it’s on European soil that it subsidizes most of their Tour, so it is a big event for the European Tour and if they want to pay to play in it, so be it.”
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