Luke Donald doubled down on his comments about Ryder Cup players being paid as he refused to rule out another stint as the European captain.
Team Europe’s successful Ryder Cup captain, Luke Donald, explains why golfers should never be paid to participate in the contest.
Much of the competition in Italy was overshadowed by talk of money, as it became apparent that Patrick Cantlay of Team USA was unhappy that players weren’t getting paid for their participation in the yearly brawl.
Cantlay consistently denied that his refusal to wear a headgear was a protest and a sign of his displeasure with the situation.
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A report from esteemed golf reporter Michael Bamberger later claimed Cantlay told an official on the first tee at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club he’d wear a cap once he’s paid to be there.
Lucas Glover, who was in contention for a late captain’s pick after his stunning finish to the PGA Tour season, later claimed he’d heard the U.S. side was splintered.
Donald was asked about whether players should get paid for participation on the Saturday evening of the Cup after thousands of European fans goaded Cantlay.
He sighed an offered a swift and unrelenting answer. “No,” he said.
Donald explained why in a recent interview for The Times, where he said: “It’s one week where you play for more than yourself, not about money or points, it’s about coming together as a team and the fans feed off that — it’s all passion.
He added:
“I don’t think we should ever get paid. If you play well, you can get paid in other ways. Your brand will go up exponentially and certain people will have bonuses in their contracts, but if you want to keep the essence and history of the Ryder Cup, it needs to stay the same.”
It wouldn’t be unreasonable to suggest all 12 European players who were involved in the five-point victory in Rome want the Englishman to continue in the role.
Clearly, winning a Ryder Cup away from home in the heart of Bethpage Black would surpass September’s triumph.
Former captain Paul McGinley has already declared himself out of the running, and statistics man Edoardo “Dodo” Molinari has also removed himself from consideration in a recent interview with No Laying Up.
“It was certainly very gratifying to hear the players shout, ‘Two more years,’ afterwards and it would be an amazing challenge,” Donald stated to the newspaper. “But because it’s a big ask, I still need to sit down with my family and decide.”