The European side took control of the Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black in September, even after a strong comeback from the US team on Sunday.
Europe’s latest Ryder Cup triumph at Bethpage Black strengthened a trend that has now seen them win six of the last eight editions and 11 of the last 15. Even a dramatic late American surge on Sunday couldn’t change the outcome — the Europeans simply wanted it more.
While none of Europe’s 12 players asked for a cent to compete, the U.S. team received $500,000 each, with $300,000 earmarked for charity. Given that even the lowest-earning American in the 2025 side, Xander Schauffele, made nearly $4.9 million in prize money alone this season, motivation was clearly never about financial need. And that, McIlroy says, is exactly why Europe held the mental edge from the first tee.
What Michael Jordan told Rory McIlroy about U.S. Ryder Cup payments
McIlroy, never a supporter of players being paid to represent their continent or country, has argued since 2024 that any Ryder Cup compensation should go back into strengthening the game — not players’ bank accounts.
Speaking to the Irish Star, the 2025 Masters champion revealed a story Michael Jordan shared with Team Europe that resonated deeply with him.
“He sat with us from six until nine,” McIlroy said. “We were talking about the issue of players being paid at the Ryder Cup and he told a story about the US basketball team, the Dream Team, at the Olympics in ’92.
“‘Do you not think I could have got paid to play in the Olympics?’ he said. ‘These people are missing the point of what it means.’
“He saw the long-term value of winning an Olympics, and said he ended up doing way better than if he had taken money there and then. And that’s pretty much how I see it.”
Jordan’s message — that legacy outweighs short-term payment — reinforced what Europe already embodied in New York: a collective commitment to pride, history, and identity, not profit.
Brandel Chamblee’s verdict on U.S. players demanding payment
Golf analyst Brandel Chamblee did not hold back when asked about the U.S. team’s demands for compensation at Marco Simone in 2023 and Bethpage Black in 2025.
He suggested the controversy distracted the American side even before competition began, while simultaneously galvanizing Europe:
“The reason I think they were so far behind after two days,” Chamblee said, “is that they were distracted by the negative response to them pushing to get paid to play in the Ryder Cup and I think that rallied Europe around the common bond of playing for pride and not profit.”
Chamblee also noted tactical shortcomings, including mismatched foursomes strategies and course setup decisions that blunted the strengths of players like Scottie Scheffler. Meanwhile, Europe “consistently bend the laws of probability to their favor by paying attention to all the little things and building a vision for all the big things.”
Since 1987, Europe have won half of the away Ryder Cups; the U.S. have won only one.
In the trenches — or on the closing stretch of a Ryder Cup Sunday — Europe continue to prove that motivation built on heritage, unity, and pride is far more powerful than any paycheck.
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