Colin Montgomerie slams Team USA over Ryder Cup pay as golf left ‘destroyed’
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Colin Montgomerie has become the last former captain to have his say on the United States Ryder Cup team being paid to compete at the 2025 event in New York. The PGA of America confirmed earlier this week that the American players competing at Bethpage Black next autumn will be paid to play for the very first time, receiving a £158,000 ($200k) stipend and a £237,000 ($300k) donation to go to a charity of each player's choice.
A statement read: "While no players asked to be compensated, the PGA of America Board of Directors has voted to increase the allocation to the members of the US Ryder Cup team from $200,000 to be directed to charities – a figure unchanged since 1999 – to $500,000, with $300,000 of that to be directed to the charity or charities of the players’ choice,. The balance is a stipend.”.
Ever since rumours of Ryder Cup pay started last month, the topic has split opinion, and Montgomerie has now had his say. The 2010 European skipper told SportsBoom : "What we’re talking about is the evil word, money. It can destroy a lot of things. "And I think that golf has been has been part of that, and we are now talking about one team getting paid to play in the Ryder Cup. My God, I mean, I would have paid to play in it, to have the honour to play in the Ryder Cup, never mind wanting money to do so.
"There’s something a little bit awry with players being paid to play. It leaves a sour taste. You can’t have a competition where one team’s being paid and the other isn’t.” It could have been used for grass-roots golf. It could be used for ladies’ golf, junior golf, golf in schools.
