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By Devlina Sarkar
Contributing Sports Writer
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Six-time PGA Tour winner Collin Morikawa has never been one to tiptoe around tough questions. And when the 28-year-old was asked about the Ryder Cup payment controversy that’s stirred up headlines this week, he didn’t hold back.
With the Ryder Cup underway at Bethpage Black, the debate over player compensation has taken center stage. Critics have questioned the PGA of America’s decision to pay each US team member $500,000, a move backed by captain Keegan Bradley.
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Ryder Cup: Collin Morikawa Has Bold Response To Money Debate on Golf
When Morikawa was asked about it during Wednesday’s press conference, he didn’t hesitate to back the call.
“I think the PGA of America and whoever – whoever is making a lot of money from the Ryder Cup, right, is – they are making a lot of money,” Morikawa told reporters during Wednesday’s press conference. “And I think on that end, it's just to give us (the players) an opportunity to either pay our respective teams, because look, the teams behind us, they don't get the recognition that we do, but they deserve a lot of it that we get.”
That wasn’t all. The two-time major winner went on to explain how the payment isn’t about personal gain. Out of the $500,000, each player will donate $300,000 to charity. And for him, it’s not about the amount, it’s about the impact.
"There's no number. It could be zero. It could be one dollar," Morikawa expressed during the Wednesday conference. "It could be -- there isn't a right or a wrong amount ... But also, just to give back to our own communities.”
He continued during the same conversation, “We have a lot of communities back home that sometimes don't get the recognition, that don't get the word-of-mouth just because we don't travel to those places that the PGA Tour stops on every week. Just more opportunities, I think, for us to help out people that we care about.”
The Tour pro also reflected on a moment earlier in the week when speeches from the Nassau Players Club and a local firefighter moved the entire team.
Morikawa admitted he’s not usually emotional, but those stories hit home. For him, that’s what the Ryder Cup is about, stepping onto the first tee with purpose and putting points on the board. That’s what he’ll remember. And that’s what the team is focused on ahead.
Morikawa's response came after several critics, including Patrick Reed, voiced concerns over the money aspect in the game. Even European captain Luke Donald weighed in on Monday, confirming that his team had declined a similar offer.
"We have such a strong purpose in this team, what we play for," Donald told Sky Sports. "And to be honest, we reinvest some of that money back into the experience of these guys. And I feel like if you have those experiences that you remember for the rest of your life, that's worth more than a couple of hundred thousand dollars in the back of your pocket."
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