Justin Rose echoes Rory McIlroy stance with dig at US Ryder Cup rivals
Ryder Cup legend and former world No. 1 Justin Rose has made his feelings abundantly clear about the PGA of America's decision to start paying its players for playing in the Ryder Cup
Justin Rose says the Ryder Cup is all about "playing for the badge" rather than money as the debate over the PGA of America's decision to pay its players rumbles on.
The 12 members of Keegan Bradley's American team at Bethpage Black in New York next September will become the first players in the event's near-100-year history to be paid. They will equally share a pot worth $4.8 million (£3.8m), equating to $400,000 (£316,000) each— a move dubbed "disgraceful" by four-time major champion and Solheim Cup legend Dame Laura Davies.
The move has also been questioned by stalwarts of the European team, who will continue to play in the event without being paid. Shane Lowry said members of Luke Donald's team do not need money to motivate them, while Rory McIlroy said he would pay for the privilege of playing in the Ryder Cup.
"The two purest forms of competition in our game right now are the Ryder Cup and the Olympics, and it's partly because of that, the purity of no money being involved," McIlroy said.
Those two events have provided immense joy for Rose – the 2016 Olympic champion and a four-time Ryder Cup winner – and he echoed his teammates views on the situation.
"They are two of my top three moments in my career and none of them have been about the financial rewards," the 44-year-old said ahead of this week's Hong Kong Open. "I think for us, we play for the badge and we also play for the European Tour.
"The Ryder Cup probably does underpin quite a lot of things on the European Tour and it's a great way of supporting the tour that gave us so much early in our careers. If you're doing it with that lens then that's as great motivation as anything."
Remuneration at the Ryder Cup has been talked about for many years, particularly on the American side. The event generates an enormous revenue stream and Tiger Woods said in 1999 he would like to have control over where some of the money goes, insisting he would donate his share to charity of if given the opportunity.
The debate resurfaces at last year's edition of the event in Rome when a bombshell report on the second day of play claimed Team USA star Patrick Cantlay was refusing to wear a team hat in protest of not being paid for his participation. Cantlay denied that he was protesting, but he did make clear he thought players should be paid.
But Rose says he cannot get his head around the move by the PGA of America's decision, given the sum Bradley's players will receive is relatively paltry in comparison to the massive purses they play at almost every other event throughout the season.
"I didn't quite get it. It's not $4m each," the former world No. 1 and 2013 US Open champion added. "It's a lot of money, but it's not changing any of those guys' lives."
Related
Share this page
Guest Posts by Easy Branches
