Is There a Ryder Cup Prize? All About the PGA’s Decision to Give a Stipend

The 2025 Ryder Cup is taking over Bethpage again!

The 45th tournament, which kicked off in Farmingdale, N.Y., on Sept. 26, features 24 of the best professional golfers from the U.S. and Europe competing against each other.

Unlike other professional golf tournaments, the Ryder Cup is a match play competition where golfers play in pairs. There are a total of 28 points available over the three-day tournament, and the first national team to surpass 14 points wins. Depending on the day of the tournament, players will also compete in foursomes or four-balls, where they either count the lowest score or play alternate shots.

Another way that the Ryder Cup stands out from other golf tournaments is the selection process. Each year, the PGA chooses a Team U.S.A. captain, while the European’s tournament committee selects their own Team Europe captain. After a team captain is chosen, the top six players from their respective countries automatically qualify, and the captains get to select the final six players.

Because players compete on behalf of their country and not as part of the normal tour, there is no Ryder Cup purse. However, since 1999, the PGA has given Team U.S.A. players $200,000 to be split between a charity of their choosing and an organization of the PGA’s choosing, per Global Golf Post.

In 2025, though, the golf organization decided to reward its players with a larger participation salary split between themselves and charitable causes.

Here’s everything to know about the Ryder Cup 2025 prize and what the players have said about the controversial changes.

Is there a Ryder Cup 2025 purse?

Unlike other major golf tournaments, there is no Ryder Cup purse or total prize fund. Since the tournament has always been the U.S. competing against Europe, it’s become a coveted rivalry that many players and fans treasure, even without a big prize.

Rory McIlroy, who has played for Team Europe at the Ryder Cup in every tournament from 2010 to 2025, previously broke down the significance of the match-up and how a potential prize fund could change the meaning of the tournament.

“I personally would pay for the privilege to play on the Ryder Cup,” McIlroy told BBC Sport in 2024. “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 called it one of the “top five biggest sporting events in the world,” so while he understands why it would make sense that they would be competing for money, the “Ryder Cup is so much more than that.”

“I think we would all welcome money if it didn’t change the dynamic but the money really would change the dynamic,” McIlroy added. “That’s why I think everyone is like, let’s not do that.”

How much money will the U.S. team win in the Ryder Cup 2025?

While there is no purse for the Ryder Cup, the PGA changed the rules for its players in 2025 and decided to pay every player for the first time. The PGA previously announced that it would reward each of the 12 U.S. players with $500,000.

However, $300,000 of that will go to a charity of the player’s choice. The remaining $200,000 will be for the athlete, who can choose what to do with it.

The PGA came to the decision after speaking with U.S. captain Keegan Bradley, who suggested that the members of the PGA should vote on the topic. In November, the PGA voted to give the players and Bradley the stipend.

Prizes at the Ryder Cup have been a topic of conversation since 1999, when a few Team U.S.A. members — including Tiger Woods — questioned where the funds from the tournament were going. Since then, players were paid $200,000, which was required to go to a charity of their choice and the PGA’s choice.

Due to the history of the Ryder Cup, many of the U.S. players have stated that they plan on donating the entire $500,000 to charity and not keep any money for themselves. Scottie Scheffler, who is the No. 1-ranked golfer in the PGA, previously defended the organization’s decision while sharing that he would be giving all his earnings away to charity.

“I’ve never been one to announce what we do. I don’t like to give charitable dollars for some kind of recognition,” Scheffler said ahead of the tournament, per ESPN. “We have something planned for the money that we’ll be receiving. I think it’s a really cool thing that the PGA of America has empowered us to do.”

Fellow Team U.S.A. member Xander Schauffele said that he also plans on giving away the full $500,000 and criticized people for viewing it as a “negative thing.”

“You guys keep talking about it and trying to make it this negative thing. It’s whatever everyone views it as,” Schauffele said, per ESPN. “There’s a lot of pride that comes into playing in one of these, and yes, we’re happy to get paid for this, and yes, I plan on donating it. It’s something that selfishly will make me feel good about what I do.”

How much will the European team win in the Ryder Cup 2025?

Since the PGA is an American organization, they are only compensating Team U.S.A. On the other hand, the European team will not receive any money, because their committee has decided to not change the longstanding tradition.

Ahead of the tournament, at the Ryder Cup Opening Ceremony, Europe’s captain, Luke Donald, spoke about his priority of tradition over money.

“It is not about prize money or world ranking points,” Donald said, per Golf.com. “It’s about pride. It’s about representing your flag, your shirts, and the legacy you leave behind. We play for our families, our teammates, our countries, our continent, and for the generations before us who made this event what it is today.”

Donald later clarified that his speech “wasn’t directed at the U.S” and wasn’t intended to criticize the PGA’s change, per ESPN.

Are there other ways that Ryder Cup players can earn money?

Since the Ryder Cup is one of the most-watched tournaments in the world, all players receive more exposure and a boost to their golfing profile for being involved, which can be leveraged for future endorsement deals or career opportunities.

Ever since the Ryder Cup began in 1927, several professional golf players — including Arnold Palmer, Francesco Molinari and Dustin Johnson — have made history for their performances in the Ryder Cup.