Patrick Cantlay says reports that Team USA all want paying to play in the Ryder Cup is all part of a “media narrative” that has created such a big debate.
Ever since reports broke suggesting the PGA of America has agreed to pay Team USA $400,000 a man to play in next year’s Ryder Cup – the debate has raged on about whether that’s the right thing for the competition.
Players have been sharing their thoughts on the thorny issue at the Hero World Challenge this week, with Tiger Woods, Justin Thomas and Scottie Scheffler having their say.
Cantlay has been seen as a main instigator in possible Ryder Cup payments, but he was not being drawn into commenting on the subject when asked after his first round in the Bahamas.
“My thoughts on the Ryder Cup are really simple: I’m there to represent my country and I’m there to win points for my teammates and that’s it,” said Cantlay.
European Ryder Cup fans in Rome last year mocked Cantlay after the ‘Hatgate’ reports of him allegedly not wearing a Team USA cap in protest over not being paid.
That’s why Cantlay is closely associated with the pursuit of player payments for next year’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, but that was also rubbished by the World No.11.
“I think that’s a media narrative and I’m not going to fall into that,” he responded when asked about whether events in Rome being linked to player payments frustrated him.
It’s a devisive issue though, with Paul McGinley among those strongly opposed and Rory McIlroy saying he would happily pay for the privilege of playing.
Scheffler said he had no issue with players being paid, but was also keen to point out that “every one of our [Team USA] players would pay to play in the Ryder Cup”.
No official confirmation either way has yet been released by the PGA of America, so the debate will continue to rage until the scale of payments, if any, is revealed.
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