The Ryder Cup is days away from beginning and already the talk of money – which team is being paid and which isn’t – has become a source of great conversation in the lead up to the 45th edition of the biennial matches between the U.S. and Europe.

The U.S. players and captains will each receive $500,000 this week – $300,00 of which must be donated to charity – while the European team won’t be rewarded financially.

“The PGA of America came to me, they wanted to bring the Ryder Cup into the present day. The charity dollars hadn't changed since 1999 and they asked me to sort of shepherd their way into making it into 2025,” U.S. Captain Keegan Bradley explained four days ahead of the start of competition.

No one argues that the Ryder Cup has become a huge spectacle and moneymaker over the last 40 years but it has always been played for pride and not profit. One of the unique characteristics of the competition that separated it from the rest of the year was that it was simply an honor to play for one’s country and the one week that players weren’t directly compensated.

“Personally I don’t agree with it,” former two-time U.S. Captain and Ryder Cup veteran Tom Watson said on Golf Channel. He’s not alone. Speaking on his podcast “The Favorite Chamblee,” Brandel Chamblee noted that it could make the partisan crowd a bit less rowdy in its support of the home team.

“Asking to be paid for the privilege of representing your country is just antithetical to the honor of it,” he said. “It would be like, you do a favor for a friend, and then afterwards, you ask to get paid for it. Tell me that doesn't dishonor the gesture. And I think that will prove to be some corrupting element to the U.S. side.

Chamblee continued: “And I think it won't sit particularly well with people who are profoundly patriotic in the New York area. And I think that will percolate, and I think that will have an effect on the Ryder Cup.”

Speaking to members of the British press, European captain Luke Donald expressed his concern that fans could be turned off by the U.S. side being compensated.

"We all know how high the ticket prices are, and it's going to be an expensive trip out for a family of four. If the U.S. players are getting paid a stipend, or whatever it is, and they aren't performing, the New Yorkers could make them know about it," Donald said. "I wanted to get ahead of this when I first heard about it last year and looked like it was likely going to happen. I reached out to all the 12 guys from Rome to see how they felt. Their voices are important. Everyone was like: 'We haven't even considered playing for money for that event.' ”

Bradley was asked multiple questions about the U.S team being paid and pointed out that they essentially copied the model already in use for the Presidents Cup, the biennial competition between the U.S. and an International team made up of the rest of the world except Europe.

“We did the best we could, and I think a lot of good is going to come from this. I think the players are going to do a lot of good with this money, and I think it's great,” he said. “I don't donate to charities to publicize what we're doing. These guys on our team are incredible people, and they do a lot of incredible things with charity dollars and with their foundations. A lot of them aren't comfortable sharing that sort of information, and I feel the same way.”

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Ryder Cup money: U.S. team is being paid, the Euros aren't. It's a hot topic at Bethpage

Reporting by Adam Schupak, Golfweek / Golfweek

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