Tiger Woods makes '$5m' Ryder Cup claim on players being paid to play at Bethpage

Tiger Woods believes players on the U.S. Ryder Cup team should be paid $5m each but donate it all to different charities following next year's contest against Europe at Bethpage Black in New York. 

Woods, who turns 49 on 30 December, was hosting a press conference ahead of his tournament hosting duties at this week's Hero World Challenge in The Bahamas. 

He will not be competing in the limited 20-man event that is staged on the PGA Tour. 

Woods, who underwent a sixth back surgery of his career in September prior to already recovering from leg and ankle injuries sustained as a result of his horror car crash in 2021, told reporters: "I'm not physically ready yet to compete at this level."

He added: "I'm just not sharp enough to compete against these guys at his level. When I'm ready to compete I will play."

Runaway World No.1 Scottie Scheffler defends his title this week as he goes in search of capping his season in style with a ninth win. 

Woods was then pressed for comment about the PGA of America preparing to pay every playing member of the United States Ryder Cup team $400k into their own pockets.

The DP World Tour has since confirmed players on Luke Donald's 2025 European Ryder Cup team will not be paid a penny though, and players such as Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry seemingly agree with that decision. 

Should members of Keegan Bradley's 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup team get paid to play in New York, it will mark the first time that has happened in the 97-year history of the contest. 

Woods, who turned down the chance to captain the 2025 side earlier this year, has no problems with players getting paid big bucks for their efforts at a Ryder Cup but he wants all of that money to go to different charities.

That has been the case at all recent Ryder Cup matches where players are given money that goes directly to charities of their choice.

It's just never been that much on the grand scale of things. 

The 15-time major champion considers that process should continue, but the figure handed to each player needs to be far greater now given just how much money the Ryder Cup generates every two years. 

"The Ryder Cup itself makes so much money, why can't we allocate it to various charities?" said Woods. 

"And what's wrong with each player, 12 players getting a million dollars and the ability to divvy out to amazing charities that they're involved in that they can help out? 

"It's their hometowns, where they're from, all the different junior golf associations or endeavors that the members are involved in.

"It's never really been about getting paid, it's how can we allocate funds to help our sport or help things that we believe in back home, because it's so hard to get onto that team, there's only 12 guys. What's wrong with being able to allocate more funds?"

Woods added: "I hope they would get $5m each and donate it all to charity, different charities. 

"I think it's great. What's wrong with that?"

Woods was then quizzed about whether he still has a burning desire to compete at the highest level as he continues to have to recover from multiple injuries sustained over recent years. 

The former World No.1 last year told reporters that he was aiming to play once a month on the PGA Tour in 2024. 

But Woods ended up only playing in all four majors, making the cut just once at The Masters before going on to finish last. 

He also started the Genesis Invitational but withdrew before the end of the second round. 

It's all added up to Woods ranking a current 1,096th in the world. 

"I didn't think my back was going to go like it did this year," said Woods.

"It was quite painful throughout the end of the year and hence I had another procedure done to it to alleviate the pain I had going down my leg. 

"So whether my commitment going forward is once a month, yeah, I could say that all over again, but I truly don't know. I'm just trying to rehab and still get stronger and better and feel better, really give myself the best chance I can going into next year."

Woods added: "The fire still burns to compete. The difference is the recovery of the body to do it is not what it used to be. I still love doing it, I love competing, I love competing in anything whether we're playing cards or we're playing golf. No matter what it is, I love competing. That's never going to leave. 

"But as far as the recovery process of going out there and doing it again and again and again and doing it consistently at a high level, I can't, for some reason the body just won't recover like it used to. That's part of age and part of an athlete's journey."

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