There have been numerous discussions and support from players for the $500,000 payout for the 2025 Ryder Cup. However, after all the players, Collin Morikawa finally revealed the real reason for how the money would be utilized. In the past, Scottie Scheffler, Patrick Cantlay, and even the captain, Keegan Bradley, have shared their thoughts on the charity perspective regarding the stipend. But there is more to that as Morikawa talks about it, which opens a day before the Ryder Cup commences.
During the press conference, Morikawa was asked about the reason why Team USA is being compensated. Answering for that, the golfer shared, “Look, I think Keegan and the PGA of America have fought in certain ways just to, you know, whether it’s a thank you or — look, I think the PGA of America and whoever — whoever is making a lot of money from The Ryder Cup, right, is — they are making a lot of money. And I think on that end, it’s just to give us an opportunity to either pay our respective teams, because look, the teams behind us, they don’t get the recognition that we do, but they deserve a lot of it that we get.”
The PGA of America and Ryder Cup USA captain Keegan Bradley reached the conclusion to offer $500,000 to the players in December 2024. The paycheck has $300,000 share for charity, which has been $200,000 since 1999. Additionally, it has an additional $200,000, which is distributed to players as a stipend.
Talking of which, Morikawa has shared how he plans to utilize that stipend, apart from donating it to charity. Currently, Morikawa has Ricke Sessinghaus (coach), Stephen Sweeney (putting coach), and Mark Urbanek (caddie). He wants to share the same recognition, but not to forget that he still has charity in mind.
Talking about which, he added, “But also just to give back to our own communities, right. We have a lot of communities back home that sometimes don’t get the recognition, that don’t get the word-of-mouth, just because we don’t travel to those places that the PGA TOUR stops on every week. Just more opportunities, I think, for us to help out people that we care about.”
Morikawa has been active in charity, donating $1,000 for every birdie to wildfire relief and $100,000 to the Maggie Hathaway course, serving as the brand ambassador for Las Vegas Sands. With the objective clear for the paycheck, he has joined his fellow pros who have talked on similar lines.
Earlier, Keegan Bradley shared his aim with the new monetary approach to help the community. In fact, the golfer who has been under scrutiny since 2023 for the paycheck at the Ryder Cup has also taken a step ahead, defying the criticism.
Patrick Cantlay stepping ahead for charity
After the hatgate controversy, Cantlay was mocked with each step. Even when he was wearing a cap during the practice session, he was under scrutiny for wearing it because of the paycheck. But the golfer shared his thoughts at the press conference. Similar to the other Team USA players, Cantlay has also stepped up for charity. He said, “One of the great things about these team events for me is there’s always such a big charitable component to it, so I’m going to donate the money.”
Well, this isn’t the first time Cantlay has stepped up for the community, as he was also active earlier in 2023 and 2024. As part of the RSM Birdies Fore Love initiative, he expressed gratitude, noting that the donated money will be used to support junior golf and first responders through the FRCF. In fact, the Patrick Cantlay Foundation has been donating to help the community.
Although it is hard to remove the dent from his name, he has still been active in donating the extra paycheck from the PGA of America. However, apart from the charity aspect, Morikawa is the first to discuss the team’s financial utilization. Do you agree with Morikawa’s point? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
