Patrick Reed has offered a withering assessment of Team USA over their successful demand to be paid for playing in the Ryder Cup showdown against Europe this month.
Reed, once nicknamed ‘Captain America’ for his performances in three editions of the Cup, narrowly missed out on a place in Keegan Bradley’s side.
Those who have made the 12 for the US will carry the controversial distinction of receiving $500,000 (£370,000) a head for teeing up at Bethpage Black – the first time in history such a payment has occurred after a prolonged period of lobbying.
Of the $500,000, $300,000 will be given to charities of the players’ choice, with the remainder a ‘stipend’ to be used as each golfer sees fit.
Reed took a dim view of the arrangement. ‘It’s one of those that I really think is unnecessary, to be honest with you,’ he said after shooting an opening round of 69 at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
‘There are certain events where money means absolutely nothing and that’s one of them, same with the Olympics. My biggest thing with the Ryder Cup is if you’re going to give money to players, have it all go to their charity or something like that. Do something good with it.
Patrick Reed has criticized American golfers for demanding to be paid for the Ryder Cup
Those who made the 12 for the USA will get $500,000 (£370,000) a head at Bethpage Black
‘I mean to me, I never played that event and cared about playing for money. That was all about playing and representing my country, going out there and trying to win the Cup. There’s no dollar amount that I’d want to play in the Ryder Cup or sway me to play one.’
Reed also subscribes to the common view that the European sides have tended to be tighter knit than those he has played on. Famously he went public after Europe won in 2018 to say Jordan Spieth did not want to be paired with him.
Reed, whose attempts to qualify were severely hindered by the absence of ranking points available on the LIV circuit, said: ‘The brotherhood and camaraderie out here, you don’t really have it in the States.’
He added: ‘I’ll never forget the first time I came over and started playing on this tour. It’s different. You know, back in the States, all your family travels with you from event to event, because it’s easy, right? I mean, hop on plane, short flights. You see the guys at the golf course, you finish, you go home straight to the family.
‘All the Europeans are traveling together. They’re all eating together. I would say that’s definitely an edge that they have over here, the camaraderie and just kind of the tightness of the groups, but I feel like we’ve recognized that on the US, and we’re working on it and building that camaraderie, and getting tighter as a group.’
