Xander Schauffele breaks silence on hot topic: "It's good for this big rivalry"

Xander Schauffele says Team USA players at the 2025 Ryder Cup will be given 'a load of crap' despite each U.S. golfer donating all money they receive to compete in the contest to charity.

It was officially confirmed on 16 December 2024 that each member representing the red, white and blue in September at Bethpage Black on the outskirts of New York will be paid $500,000 (£400,000) each. 

Of that sum of money, $300,000 (£240,000) will go to a charity while the players are free to do as they wish with the remaining 'stipend'. 

Schauffele told Golf Channel on the eve of The Sentry in Hawaii that every penny will be donated to charity. 

"I just see it as a whole lot of money going to charity and we're going to take a lot of crap," Schauffele told the publication. 

U.S. captain Keegan Bradley was quick to stress that he - and each player - planned to give all the money to charity before a Telegraph Sport's exclusive on the topic. 

Bradley also previously stressed that the decision was made strictly by the PGA of America with no involvement from the players. 

Schauffele said the chatter over the topic will only make the 2025 matches more intense and compelling. 

"The way the whole thing is shaking down, it's good for this big rivalry," the two-time major winner said.  

"And it's going to be better for the Ryder Cup. 

"Whenever there's like a feud, what happens? It juices everything up around it. 

"The Ryder Cup is going to do better because of this thing.

"We're used to playing in these team events and not getting paid and giving our portion away happily. 

"It's a really nice thing we can do. We make plenty of money throughout the year, so we're happy to give money when we can."

The pay-for-play issue first arose in 1999 and was raised again in September 2023 when Sky Sports' Jamie Weir reported that Patrick Cantlay wasn't wearing a team cap as a protest for not being paid. 

Weir claimed Cantlay and Schauffele were leading a split in the dressing room over the issue. 

Both players denied this was the case. 

Although Schauffele's father, Stefan, confirmed 24 hours after Team Europe's victory in Italy that his son was involved in a contractual dispute with the PGA of America that at one point threatened his place on the team. 

At Brookline in 1999, the likes of Tiger Woods, Mark O'Meara and David Duval questioned where the revenue was going without players' input. 

O'Meara recently told SI's Bob Harig that his views ultimately cost him the captaincy when the Ryder Cup was staged at The K Club in Ireland. 

Speaking before the Hero World Challenge last December, Woods blamed the media for spinning the story back then. 

"We wanted to give more money to charity, [but] the media turned it round against us and said we wanted to get paid," he said.

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

Woods, who turned 49 last month, suggested each U.S. player receive $5m each with the condition that the money all went towards charitable efforts. 

Several high-profile European golfers have spoken at length on the topic in recent weeks. 

Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose and even Sergio Garcia expressed their dismay. 

The 2025 Ryder Cup will be played over 26-28 September. 

Europe has won eight of the last 11 times, though its last victory on U.S. soil was in 2012.

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