Tiger Woods wants Ryder Cup to pay golfers, but on one condition
Whether or not the Ryder Cup should pay players isn't up to Tiger Woods, but the former Team USA star had his say on the topic. With reports coming out that the American side will pay players, the conversation has shifted to whether or not that's appropriate and whether or not players should want it.
Woods said he even had the payment conversations all the way back in 1999 and throughout his Ryder Cup playing days. Ultimately, "we didn't want to get paid," the golfer said.
He said he and his teammates wanted to give more to charity even when the media insisted that they wanted to get paid. The PGA Tour star said that the Cup makes so much money that various charities should be able to benefit from it:
“What’s wrong with each player, 12 players, getting a million dollars and divvied it out to any amazing charities that they’re involved in, that they can help out in their hometowns, all the different junior golf associations or endeavors that the members are involved in?
Woods added:
"It's never really been about getting paid, it's how can we allocate funds to go help our sport or help things that we believe in back home? It's so hard to get onto that team."
Woods said firmly that he hopes each player gets $5 million but donates it all to charity. It looks like a foregone conclusion that the Cup will pay Team USA, and Woods wants to see them earn some money and donate it themselves.
Tiger Woods' old comments on Ryder Cup pay resurface
Tiger Woods was right, even in 1999, people were having conversations about paying players to participate in the Ryder Cup. Dating even further back, money has not gone into players' pockets, but that seems poised to change.
Woods' initial comments have come to light in the wake of the news and what he had to say about it on Tuesday. Via Sports Illustrated, he said in 1999:
“It’s completely unfair, the way it is now. I played in one (1997) and didn’t enjoy it at all. It’s like ‘pros on parade.’ They take us to a bunch of functions that raise money, yet everybody is compensated except us. Let’s take some of that money and spread it around.”
Tiger Woods seems to be asking that players get some money to "spread around" to charities, seemingly the same sentiment he's expressing now. Even then, he was one of golf's most successful athletes and made a lot of money on the PGA Tour.
It is reported that the PGA of America is set to pay each American golfer $400,000 to do with what they please when they make and play for the team.