Do players get paid to play in the Presidents Cup?

The pay-to-play debate was ignited by Patrick Cantlay at last year’s Ryder Cup – but are players cashing cheques for turning up at the Presidents Cup?

The fallout from the 2023 showdown between the United States and Team Europe at Marco Simone concerned the thorny issue of remuneration for those competing.

It emerged after Patrick Cantlay reportedly chose not to wear a Team USA cap in Rome out of protest for not being paid to play.

Cantlay strenuously denied those allegations, claiming in one press conference that the hat “doesn’t fit.” But Cantlay has worn a hat in previous Presidents Cups and the fierce debate rumbled on.

It transpires that US players receive $200,000 to donate to charities of their choice at the Ryder Cup. A further 20% of the Ryder Cup media rights are offered to the PGA Tour and are added to the players’ pension fund.

• What is the Presidents Cup format?

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“The PGA of America and Ryder Cup Europe need to be more transparent and disclose how this money from the Ryder Cup is being distributed,” Xander Schauffele’s father Stefan told The Times last year.

“They are using players’ intellectual properties to make money and the American players don’t get paid, “More importantly, this would become a non-issue if all proceeds, net proceeds, from the Ryder Cup were to be donated to common charitable causes. Right now, the American players are asked to donate their time pro-bono in the name of patriotism so these organisations can benefit from the profits.”

The debate will continue long after the Ryder Cup heads to Bethpage Black in 2025.

But what about the Presidents Cup? Are the rules any different in the biennial match between the United States and the International Team?

What is the Presidents Cup prize money?

In short, there isn’t any. And there never has been. Money is not what it is about.

As explained on the competition’s website, “The Presidents Cup is a unique golf event in that there is no purse or prize money.”

Players, therefore, are not paid at all for their participation in the Presidents Cup.

There is however, a hugely charitable factor in this tournament. Players may not be paid directly, but each competitor is allocated an equal portion of the funds generated in the match to a charity of his choice.

“Since the inception of the Presidents Cup in 1994, more than $56.4 million has been generated from event proceeds,” the website states.

“Over the past 25 years, the Presidents Cup has impacted more than 475 charities in 18 countries worldwide.”

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.