Patrick Reed is disgusted U.S. Ryder Cup players are being paid: 'I don't like that at all...'
LIV Golf's Patrick Reed does not believe the PGA of America should be paying members of the U.S. Ryder Cup team in 2025: 'It's a touchy subject...'
Patrick Reed strongly believes U.S. players should not be getting paid by the PGA of America for competing at the 2025 Ryder Cup.
Three-time U.S. Ryder Cup player Reed, a man who has earned the nickname 'Captain America', made his latest feelings be known in an interview with Gulf News at this week's International Series Qatar at Doha Golf Club.
'Captain America' last week won on the Asian Tour, marking his first victory around the world since on the PGA Tour in 2021.
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Reed, 34, was pressed by the publication for his comments after it came to light earlier this month that the PGA of America was on the verge of paying $400,000 to each member of Keegan Bradley's 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup team at Bethpage Black in New York from 26-28 September.
Should the PGA go ahead with its plan, it will mark the first time in the 97-year histoy of the contest that players have been paid for competing at the Ryder Cup.
LIV Golf star Reed considers paying players at a Ryder Cup becomes 'a touchy subject' solely because guys who fail to get picked are then not only disappointed about missing the team but also on missing out on a pay cheque too.
Reed also admits compensation for competing on the U.S. Ryder Cup team was never brought up when he represented his nation in the biennial contest against Europe in 2014, 2016 and 2018.
As it stands, there is no expectation that players on Luke Donald's 2025 European Ryder Cup team will be getting paid, a decision Rory McIlroy strongly agrees with.
Scroll below for Reed's comments at length about why players on the U.S. Ryder Cup team should not be getting paid...
"It’s such a touchy subject," Reed told Gulf News.
"With having six picks, if you finish inside the top 12 and the captain decides to skip over you and pick someone else, not only did you not get to play, but you also just lost $400k. So to me, I feel like it's a pretty sticky kind of situation.
"In the past, when I was part of Ryder Cups, none of the players or caddies were ever sitting there and talking about whether we got paid or not. None of us could really care.
"All we cared about was playing the Ryder Cup, representing your country, going out and playing against Europe, and hopefully bringing the cup home or keeping the cup.
"It's one of those things that could be a very interesting situation. At Whistling Straits, I was 11th in the standings, and they didn't pick me. All I know is I'd be pretty annoyed if I finished 11th, didn't get picked, and so not only am I not playing, but I also lost $400k.
"I don't know how that would all happen and take care of itself, but I don't like it personally."
When Gulf News asked Reed whether the future of the Ryder Cup would be better if players did not get paid, he replied adamantly: "Yeah."
Reed added: "Honestly, if it comes down to picks and that determines whether a guy gets paid or not, I don’t like that. I don't like that at all.
"Guys grind so hard. Every two years, you're grinding so hard to try to make that team, so if you're one of those guys that's inside the top 12 and then you get left out, and then on top of it, you lose money for it, especially that much money — $400k is a lot of money.
"To sit there and think, ‘oh man, I played well enough to be inside the top 12 but didn’t get picked and lost money for it’ — that just, to me, doesn't sit well.
"That tournament is so much more than getting paid.
"Just like the Olympics, anytime you can go and represent your country and try and win something for your country — we’re all competitors out here. We don't need money to drive us to go play the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup or Olympics.
"What drives us to play in those events is going out and playing for something way bigger than just yourself.
"You're playing for your country, you're playing for your teammates, and so I don't see any reason to sit there and play for anything besides the trophy and bringing it back for the red, white, and blue."
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