Luke Donald ally: U.S. Ryder Cup fans may turn on their team at Bethpage Black

One of Luke Donald's allies has suggested the pay dispute may play into Europe's hands if the U.S. side don't get off to a hot start at the 2025 Ryder Cup. 

The claim was made in a recent report from Telegraph Sport. 

Donald and his dozen will run it back at Bethpage Black in nine months. 

It promises to be a feisty affair, with Team USA being supported by a raucous New York crowd. 

Throw in the fact that the U.S. players will be paid for the first time ever and there could be fireworks. 

Europe have not won in hostile territory since the Miracle at Medinah in 2012. 

Related:

• European Ryder Cup rankings
• U.S. Ryder Cup rankings

"If we can get on top early, then the New York fans may turn on their team and accuse them of being more interested in the money," the close ally of Donald told the publication. 

Donald told TS that even before the PGA of America made it official the U.S. golfers will be paid $200,00 each in a 'stipend' he decided to consult members of the 2023 side. 

The overwhelming feeling he got back, he said, was that the contest is much bigger than cash. 

Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry, Justin Rose and even Sergio Garcia have offered strong opinions on the topic in recent months. 

McIlroy and Lowry have said they would pay for the privilege of competing. 

"We heard the rumours and it was only right of me to talk to the guys from Rome and gauge their feelings," he said.

"I certainly wasn’t putting words in their mouth. I said, 'how would you feel if the US were paid?' 

"And they told me that, 'the week's not really about that – it's more than that'."

Donald described the issue as 'a shame', adding: "It should never be just about money. 

"We know there's much better ways to motivate people than that and that’s certainly what we are concentrating on."

Asked if the money issue could actually affect the chemistry of the event, Donald said it is far too soon to tell. 

"We'll approach that when we get there," he said. 

It should be noted that Xander Schauffele has already claimed that U.S. player will donate every penny of their stipend to charity. 

But no other golfers likely to be on the team, such as Patrick Cantlay or Scottie Scheffler, have commented on Schauffele's claim. 

Scheffler was sarcastic on the topic before the Hero World Challenge last month. 

He was spotted walking the course with Tiger Woods and later told reporters, tongue firmly in his cheek, that all they talked about was money. 

Woods, 49, claimed each player should be paid $5m each with the condition it all goes to charity. 

It is widely assumed that Woods' true feelings on the topic were completely different in 1999. 

"I think most of the time we just talk about money and how the purses need to be bigger," Scheffler joked.

"Today we really grinded on the Ryder Cup and how it's such BS that we've never been paid. 

"Tiger was really frustrated, he feels like he hasn't made enough money in his career, I feel the same, like last year I didn't get paid enough for what I did, mostly that, just a bunch of griping."

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