Three-time Ryder Cup player Hunter Mahan has shared what Europe’s fans, players and media will try and do before September’s event at Bethpage Black.
For the first time in the competition’s 97-year history, American players will be paid $400,000 each for competing in the historic three-day matchplay event.
The saga has rumbled on since the 1999 Brookline event, where USA players nearly boycotted the Ryder Cup after not receiving payment.
However, after the Patrick Cantlay saga in 2023, a decision has been made, and Mahan predicts that the European side, fans, and media will use it to their advantage.
Hunter Mahan drops Europe Ryder Cup verdict
Speaking during an interview with Golf Monthly, Mahan believes it’s a story that will repeatedly be mentioned between now and the first shot on Long Island.
“I think it being one-sided could be a little bit of a storyline. I think the European side and the fans are definitely going to use it, and I think the players will definitely use it when they can, before and even during the event,” he said.
“We’ve already seen Shane and Rory kind of speaking out about it, so I think for a year, it could be a little bit of needling in a way, which I think this event is prone to do is to find something and use it… I know the European media is going to run with it like crazy.
“Maybe not right away, but definitely leading up to the event, it’s going to be a topic of conversation without a doubt. And the problem is the players are going to have to sort of talk about it, and even the players that don’t maybe support it or were not even a part of it or even care are going to have to answer questions about it.”
Mahan added: “So we’ll have to see how that sort of turns up but it’s definitely going to be significant portions of time we’re going to see the story pop up again.
“This is going to be an unfortunate side story to the event. I don’t think there’s any doubt about it.”
What Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry have said about Ryder Cup payments
There are no plans to introduce payments on the European side, and some high-profile names support the current stance.
Rory McIlroy has said he will play for free, and Shane Lowry has suggested he’s not bothered about being paid to compete at the Ryder Cup.
“I saw the story, but I’m not sure how – it’s not been confirmed yet,” Lowry said.
“It would probably be silly of me to comment on it, really. Where would I stand on it? I can only speak for myself. I don’t really care whether I did [get paid] or not, to be honest. You know, the Ryder Cup is a privilege, and it’s what I work for.”
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