Rory McIlroy insists Europe’s Ryder Cup stars will NOT observe Team USA and demand money to play within the occasion – with Keegan Bradley’s crew in line to be paid £315,000 subsequent autumn

Rory McIlroy has torpedoed any notion of Europe’s Ryder Cup stars following the lead set by the Americans in demanding cash to contest their sport’s marquee event.

His message after taking a share of the lead at the DP World Tour Championships here in Dubai was simple and emphatic: ‘I would pay to play.’

While the US golfers are close to being granted their long-held wish, with each member of Keegan Bradley’s team in line to be paid £315,000 in New York next autumn, McIlroy revealed the Europeans have privately discussed the matter in recent weeks and found no appetite to push for the same.

That will be heartening to those who have viewed the American move as a crass money-grabbing exercise. It might also strengthen the age-old perception that the Cup simply means more to players on this side of the Atlantic.

McIlroy stopped short of criticising the desire of the US players agitating for a share of the event’s profits, which was most glaringly demonstrated by Patrick Cantlay’s hat protest in Rome last year, but he was clear in stating the current generation multi-millionaires had no need for extra pocket money.

He said: ‘I personally would pay for the privilege to play on the Ryder Cup. I think the two purest forms of competition in our game right now are the Ryder Cup and the Olympics and it’s partly because of no money being involved.

Rory McIlroy has torpedoed any notion of Europe’s Ryder Cup stars following the lead set by the Americans in demanding cash to play in the event

The US team are set to be paid over £300,000 for playing in the Ryder Cup next year (pictured: Patrick Cantlay refused to wear a hat out of protest for not being paid in 2023)

‘Look, it was, it was a discussion that was happening in Rome. I can see the other side of the argument, because the Ryder Cup does create a lot of revenue – it’s probably one of the top five biggest sporting events in the world. So I get the argument that the talent should be getting paid, but I just think that the Ryder Cup is so much more than that, especially to the Europeans and to this tour.

‘We’ve all had a conversation about it over the past few weeks, because we obviously heard (rumours of a US pay deal being close), and I think the common consensus amongst us is that the money would be better off spent elsewhere on the DP World Tour, to support other events, or to support the Challenge Tour.

‘I don’t want to say (being paid) taints it, but it would give it a different feel. And I think what we’ve done a really good job of is being this really cohesive, collective group over the past decade. We wouldn’t want anything to change that.’

The world No 3 added: ‘I honestly don’t think any of the 24 players on either team needs that $400,000 (£315,000) grand. Every two years we there’s 104 weeks and 103 weeks you can play golf and get paid. That’s reasonable enough. So again, it won’t change anything on our side.

‘Quite frankly, we don’t need $400,000. We play for millions of dollars every week.’

The US pay deal has not yet been ratified owing as the PGA of America, which oversees the team, is in the process of appointing a new chief executive. However it is expected to be waved through before the 2025 match.

The US pay deal has not been ratified owing as the PGA of America, which oversees the team 

McIlroy’s sentiment was echoed by European team-mates Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, Tyrrell Hatton and Bob MacIntyre in Dubai. MacIntyre said: ‘For me, the Cup has never been about the money. When we played it at Rome, we had a special thing behind our badge, which was Seve (Ballesteros), and he didn’t get paid. There’s more to it than money.’

On the course, McIlroy carded a five-under-par 67 to share the first-round lead with Hatton, one clear of Englishman Paul Waring. South Africa’s Thriston Lawrence, the only man who can only catch McIlroy in the order of merit standings, is six off the lead. To snatch the Harry Vardon Trophy he needs to win and for McIlroy to finish outside the top 11 – those chances now seem incredibly remote.