Major champion Justin Rose on Tuesday aligned with Rory McIlroy’s viewpoint regarding European players not receiving compensation to participate in the Ryder Cup, asserting “we compete for the badge”. Northern Ireland’s McIlroy mentioned last week that he would “pay to represent” Europe in the Ryder Cup following reports that American players are set to earn […]
Major champion Justin Rose on Tuesday aligned with Rory McIlroy’s viewpoint regarding European players not receiving compensation to participate in the Ryder Cup, asserting “we compete for the badge”.
Northern Ireland’s McIlroy mentioned last week that he would “pay to represent” Europe in the Ryder Cup following reports that American players are set to earn $400,000 each for taking part in next year’s tournament.
McIlroy emphasized that Europe’s elite don’t require financial motivation to give their utmost in the biennial face-off against the United States.
“The two most genuine forms of competition in our sport today are the Ryder Cup and the Olympics, and it’s partly due to the fact that there is no monetary incentive involved,” McIlroy shared with the BBC.
Englishman Rose secured Olympic gold in 2016 and has been a member of four victorious Ryder Cup teams.
“They rank among my top three career highlights, and none of those experiences revolved around financial benefits,” Rose stated in response to an inquiry from AFP during the Hong Kong Open, which commences on Thursday.
The contentious topic of receiving payment to participate was “about what’s appropriate collectively for your team,” added the 44-year-old former world number one.
“For us, we compete for the badge and also represent the European Tour,” he noted.
“The Ryder Cup likely supports many aspects of the European Tour, and it serves as an excellent means of backing the tour that contributed so much to our early careers.
“If you view it from that perspective, then that’s just as powerful a motivation as anything,” added the seasoned player, who claimed the US Open title in 2013.
This week, Rose will seek to reclaim the Hong Kong Open title he won in 2015, competing against a field that features US Ryder Cup member Patrick Reed and South Korea’s emerging PGA Tour star Tom Kim.
Rose remarked that he found it difficult to grasp the amounts reportedly being offered by the US team.
“I didn’t fully understand it. It’s not four million dollars per player,” said the former world number one.
“While it’s a substantial amount, it doesn’t alter the lives of those players.”
dh/bsp
