Keegan Bradley Dismisses Concerns Over Ryder Cup Pay Structure For Team Europe

Keegan Bradley, the captain of Team USA, is not worried about Team Europe's decision regarding Ryder Cup payments. He emphasised that his focus is on modernising the competition. The Ryder Cup kicks off

on Friday at Bethpage Black, with Team USA aiming for victory on their home turf. Each player from Team USA receives $500,000 for participating, with a minimum of $300,000 directed to charity.

Bradley dismissed suggestions that accepting payment implies the Ryder Cup holds more significance for Europe than the USA. "I don't really get that," Bradley stated. "I'm not concerned about what Europe does or what they think. I'm concerned about what my team is doing. " He highlighted that the PGA of America tasked him with updating the event and that they adopted elements from the Presidents Cup.

Bradley expressed confidence in Team USA's ability to fend off Team Europe, particularly praising Bethpage Black's condition ahead of Friday's start. "I think we sort of look at the analytical data and how our players perform at their best, and we set the course up accordingly," he said. Having played there numerous times, Bradley believes it's in its best shape ever.

The last Ryder Cup held in Rome saw Team Europe triumph 16-11 in 2023, marking their seventh consecutive home victory. Conversely, when hosted in the US in 2021, Team USA secured a dominant 19-9 win—the largest margin since 1979. Since 2012, when Europe narrowly won at Medinah, Team USA has remained unbeaten on home soil.

Bradley reiterated that modernising the Ryder Cup was a priority for him and the PGA of America. He noted that charitable contributions hadn't changed since 1999 and aimed to update this aspect by 2025. "The players are really good people and are going to do a lot of good things," he added.

Go out there and play like you have the country on your back because you do. #GoUSA pic.twitter.com/Tg4PxlDuLK

- Ryder Cup USA (@RyderCupUSA) September 22, 2025

Luke Donald mentioned earlier that his team chose not to accept payment for participating in the Cup. However, Bradley emphasised that introducing payments was part of bringing the event into today's era. He believes this approach will lead to positive outcomes as players use their earnings for charitable causes.

The upcoming Ryder Cup promises intense competition as both teams prepare to showcase their skills. With strategic planning and course familiarity on their side, Team USA aims to maintain their winning streak at home while contributing significantly to charitable efforts through their participation rewards.