Ex-Ryder Cup captain gangs up with Tiger Woods as he speaks on compensation for golfers
Two-time Masters champion and American Ryder Cup legend Ben Crenshaw says players should not be paid for playing in the Ryder Cup. However, he supports Tiger Woods' general view that payments should be kept for charitable initiatives.
Crenshaw was captain of the U.S. team in the 1999 edition, the year American players began receiving sums to be donated to charities of their choice. Twenty-five years later, Crenshaw believes the system's principles should remain in place.
This was part of what Ben Crenshaw said in an interview with Sports Illustrated:
"The agreement that was made from ’99 was for the players to receive money for their foundations that in turn go to charities and that is something we all agreed on."
However, Crenshaw made a distinction between receiving money for charity and receiving payment for their services as members of the U.S. team:
"My opinion is no one should be compensated to play for our country and the Ryder Cup...My position has never changed, nor will it even though the game has."
He added:
"I’m not sure if this is what the current players want. My hope is no and that they will be content with the money going to their charities. After all, I feel it necessary to honor all the Ryder Cup participants who came before us who proudly represented our country and the PGA of America."
Ben Crenshaw began his professional career in 1973 and achieved 30 victories, 19 of them on the PGA Tour (two majors). He participated in four editions of the biannual event (he won two) and captained the American Ryder Cup team to victory in Brookline, Massachusetts in 1999.
Ben Crenshaw's and Tiger Woods' similar thinking on Ryder Cup player compensation
Just a week ago, Tiger Woods spoke on the subject of American players being paid to play in the Ryder Cup. Woods had very similar ideas to Crenshaw's, although he added his own particular vision of the matter.
The 15-time major champion felt that the system of giving money to players for charity should prevail. However, he was in favor of increasing the amount of money given to players compared to what they have received in the past.
Speaking from the Hero World Challenge venue in the Bahamas, Tiger Woods argued that the event has grown financially over time, but the amounts each player receives for charity ($200,000 each) have remained the same. Woods supported the idea that players could receive more money and divide it among different initiatives.
"I hope they would get $5 million each and donate it all to charity," Woods said (via Golf Digest).
Information that the PGA of America is considering paying $400,000 to players on the American team was reported by The Telegraph three weeks ago. The PGA of America has not commented on the matter, but U.S. captain Keegan Bradley confirmed the information a few days ago, saying nothing has been decided on the matter (via Sports Illustrated).