Report: Xander Schauffele involved in huge (!) pay dispute on eve of Ryder Cup
A bombshell report by The Times has claimed Xander Schauffele was involved in a stand off with the PGA of America before the Ryder Cup.
Xander Schauffele was involved in a standoff with the PGA of America which put his participation in the Ryder Cup at risk on the eve of the contest, according to a bombshell report by the Times of London.
Per Tom Kershaw, it is said the player's father believes the governing body was using 'strong-arming tactics' that 'falls into the wider dispute on the issue of whether golfers should be paid for playing in the Ryder Cup'.
Schauffele is extremely close friends with Patrick Cantlay. On the second day of the Ryder Cup, a report from Sky Sports claimed his decision not to wear a team cap on the course or in photographs was a protest over not getting paid to compete.
It was suggested there was a clear divide in the team room, with Schauffele and his close pal Cantlay sitting separately from their teammates.
For his part Cantlay said the report was 'outright lies'. Captain Zach Johnson said suggestions of discontent in the team locker room was 'extremely poor journalism'.
But Cantlay did refuse to elaborate further on the subject of Ryder Cup compensation.
The Times' report quotes Schauffele's father and coach Stefan.
He suggested the 'smear' about his son and Cantlay perhaps stemmed from the fact both golfers asked for a player participation and benefit agreement to be amended.
That agreement is said to have been sent in July but until a few weeks ago was not signed.
Schauffele, nor Cantlay, attended a recce with their teammates before the contest. Jordan Spieth was also absent as his wife was having their second child.
Kershaw states that a point of contention was whether or not to grant access to the Netflix cameras.
Johnson put that to a vote and the answer that came back was a firm no in order to 'preserve the sacredness of Team USA'.
The dispute with the PGA of America was only settled in August.
Schauffele's father told publication:
Players who compete in the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup do not get paid.
Instead, the PGA of America, who runs the biennial dust-up jointly with Ryder Cup Europe, allocate each player money to donate to charity.
Xander Schauffele's father added that a 'meaningful' conversation needed to be had.
"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," he said.
He said this dispute could be settled if all proceeds and net proceeds were donated to charity.
"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 PGA [of America] uses this money, and the PGA Tour gets 20 per cent that goes into the retirement of every member. The 12 players supposedly need to eat it and their intellectual property gets abused for the benefit of 200 other people. That's not right."
Read more:
- Zach Johnson makes stunning (!) admission after Team USA's Ryder Cup defeat
- Donald on Rory McIlroy's FURIOUS (!) Ryder Cup row: "He felt a line was crossed"
- Patrick Cantlay in tense reporter exchange: "That's all I've got to say"
- REVEALED: Why Ryder Cup villain Patrick Cantlay was excused from team dinner
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