Ryder Cup Appearance Money

[AussieKB]

I agree that the Players today getting appearance money is crazy, specially the amount they earn and am sure they receive a sponsors bonus for making their respective team.

But to say that it hasn't been brought up in the past is just wrong.

Seve did not play the 1981 Ryder Cup because he wanted to be payed, amazing how many people forget that, or totally ignore the fact,
at least in his day there was not that much prize money around.

1981 Ryder Cup - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Orikoru]

I think there should be a token nominal fee but nothing like the amounts they're talking about. I'm sure all their expenses are paid for the week regardless, such as flights, hotel etc. Just greed. It's effectively the golf equivalent of playing for your country in football, rugby etc - there's meant to be pride and honour involved.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Good to see the Europeans saying they would pay to play in the RC

They earn millions as jt is

For once play for pride of the nation you are representing

 

[timd77]

I guess what they’re saying is that the players are the ones generating millions and millions for the organisers, why should the organisers keep all the money. And I get that, so why not donate the appearance fee to charity? Pretty sure England footballers (and probably others) donate their appearance fees.

 

[azazel]

Pro golf in general is eating itself in a race to the top of the cash pile so it's not surprise this is rearing its head again and will probably happen this time. Would be odd if the Americans got it and not the Europeans but I could see a scenario where, as suggested above, the Euros donate theirs to charity.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Pro golf in general is eating itself in a race to the top of the cash pile so it's not surprise this is rearing it's head again and will probably happen this time. Would be odd if the Americans got it and not the Europeans but I could see a scenario where, as suggested above, the Euros donate theirs to charity.

I think Rory said that a/ he didn't want money for it b/ any money they were thinking of giving to him, he would rather it went back into the DP Tour or other golf related funds.

It looks very poor from the US but as golf has shown in recent times, money is becoming king. I like your analogy of golf eating itself, sadly very apt.

 

[jim8flog]

The one incident I remember is

Miguel Angel Martin​

He insisted on remaining on the team despite knowing he was too unfit to play because if he withdrew beforehand he lost the money from his sponsors for making the team.

 

[Slab]

As one of the richest players on the planet its tough to see Rory’s viewpoint as the ‘correct’ one from any perspective other than his own. A 400k appearance fee (for example) is just 0.3% of a conservative est of his reported worth

Trouble is, what about someone like say Sepp Straka (with a fraction of Rory’s money) a 2023 RC player, but I suspect Rorys comments now make it dam near impossible for someone like Sepp to speak out and say, hell yeah I could do with 400k !
(whether he would or not I have no idea, just using him as an example to illustrate that not all RC players are mega multi millionaires)

edit for spelling

 

[Starter]

I agree that the Players today getting appearance money is crazy, specially the amount they earn and am sure they receive a sponsors bonus for making their respective team.

But to say that it hasn't been brought up in the past is just wrong.

Seve did not play the 1981 Ryder Cup because he wanted to be payed, amazing how many people forget that, or totally ignore the fact,
at least in his day there was not that much prize money around.

1981 Ryder Cup - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Seve's dispute with the European Tour was over appearance money being paid to non-members, usually from America, but similar payments to leading European players not being allowed.

It was not about being paid to appear in the Ryder Cup.

 

[Orikoru]

As one of the richest players on the planet its tough to see Rory’s viewpoint as the ‘correct’ one from any perspective other than his own. A 400k appearance fee (for example) is just 0.3% of a conservative est of his reported worth

Trouble is, what about someone like say Sepp Straka (with a fraction of Rory’s money) a 2023 RC player, but I suspect Rorys comments now make it dam near impossible for someone like Sepp to speak out and say, hell yeah I could do with 400k !
(weather he would or not I have no idea, just using him as an example to illustrate that not all RC players are mega multi millionaires)

Do we really think anyone who's played well enough to make the Ryder team is hard up for money?

 

[AussieKB]

The one incident I remember is

Miguel Angel Martin​

He insisted on remaining on the team despite knowing he was too unfit to play because if he withdrew beforehand he lost the money from his sponsors for making the team.

What I remember about that is that he was injured, but they did not want him to play, so said he had to prove his fitness well in advance of the due date.

Compromise was that his sponsors paid the bonus as if he had played.

 

[AussieKB]

Seve's dispute with the European Tour was over appearance money being paid to non-members, usually from America, but similar payments to leading European players not being allowed.

It was not about being paid to appear in the Ryder Cup.

Not sure of your age.....not being nasty...but I am old enough to remember it, he copped a lot of flack from UK press at the time.

It seems that this episode is always overlooked, not complaint from me about Seve as he drove the Ryder Cup going forward.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

As one of the richest players on the planet its tough to see Rory’s viewpoint as the ‘correct’ one from any perspective other than his own. A 400k appearance fee (for example) is just 0.3% of a conservative est of his reported worth

Trouble is, what about someone like say Sepp Straka (with a fraction of Rory’s money) a 2023 RC player, but I suspect Rorys comments now make it dam near impossible for someone like Sepp to speak out and say, hell yeah I could do with 400k !
(weather he would or not I have no idea, just using him as an example to illustrate that not all RC players are mega multi millionaires)

I reckon millionaire Sepp Strakka is doing ok

In fact anyone qualifying for the Ryder Cup will have earned a good couple of mil.

 

[Slab]

View attachment 55879

Do we really think anyone who's played well enough to make the Ryder team is hard up for money?

Not saying he's skint of course but the USA reported 400k figure would clearly mean a helluva lot more to someone with his career earnings than it would to Rory who's net worth is 20 times larger

Rory's been picking up appearance money for last 15 years (1-2mil a pop)
Maybe Sepp still has that in front of him... or maybe he's already peaked (he played 22 pgat events this year and 15 times walked away with squat diddly, and lost money)

 

[AussieKB]

Think he is doing ok.

Sepp Straka's net worth is estimated to be approximately 6 million USD as of 2024, with the majority of his earnings coming from his professional golf career. Furthermore, he has secured various brand endorsement deals to supplement his income.

 

[Arthur Wedge]

Not saying he's skint of course but the USA reported 400k figure would clearly mean a helluva lot more to someone with his career earnings than it would to Rory who's net worth is 20 times larger

Rory's been picking up appearance money for last 15 years (1-2mil a pop)
Maybe Sepp still has that in front of him... or maybe he's already peaked (he played 22 pgat events this year and 15 times walked away with squat diddly, and lost money)

He earned just under $5mil last season

 

[Slab]

I reckon millionaire Sepp Strakka is doing ok

In fact anyone qualifying for the Ryder Cup will have earned a good couple of mil.

400k is 20% of a 'good couple of mil'

Pretty significant

 

[Arthur Wedge]

400k is 20% of a 'good couple of mil'

Pretty significant

At the end of the day this is all being driven by the US players - the Europeans will continue to play for Europe and to win the Ryder Cup

 

[AussieKB]

400k is 20% of a 'good couple of mil'

Pretty significant

Think I could survive on that

 

[Starter]

Not sure of your age.....not being nasty...but I am old enough to remember it, he copped a lot of flack from UK press at the time.

It seems that this episode is always overlooked, not complaint from me about Seve as he drove the Ryder Cup going forward.

As I am in my 70's I remember it very clearly and I am afraid that you are misinterpreting the facts.

Seve's objection was to appearance money being paid to "visitors" playing in normal Tour events whilst similar payments could not be received by European Tour members.

He did not suggest or request money to appear in the Ryder Cup but refused to play as a means of voicing his objection.

Apart from anything else in 1981 the RC did not generate the sort of money that would have made it feasible for European players to be paid any fees.