“It’s always on your mind,” Patrick Reed said in Dallas for the Ryder Cup. Nicknamed Captain America for his fierce and patriotic Ryder Cup performances, Reed has played in three editions—2014, 2016, and 2018. He earned his nickname after an epic 2016 clash with Rory McIlroy, before missing the 2023 event. After an eventful 2025, he was looking forward to making his fourth appearance, but a snub at the hands of Keegan Bradley stung. As a result, he admitted that he won’t be watching the boys fight for honor and MONEY at Bethpage. And about dollar bills, Reed has stern thoughts about the matter.

Historically, US players received $200,000 strictly for charity, but from 2025, for the first time, they can keep $200,000 as a personal stipend from the $500,000 they’ll receive. Reed voiced strong criticism of the change, saying, “It’s one of those that I really think is unnecessary, to be honest with you. I mean, there are certain events for which money means absolutely nothing. And you know, that’s one of them. But my biggest thing at the Ryder Cup is if you’re going to give money to players, have it all go to charity. There’s no amount of money for which I would want to represent my country. I mean, we could play for zero or play for hundreds of millions; it wouldn’t matter to the guys out there going to try to win the cup.” His passion for representing his nation drives his pursuit, despite the challenge of earning Ryder Cup points outside of LIV Golf.

The former Masters champion said, “It was all about playing, representing my country, and trying to win the cup. It’s just like playing in the Olympics; it’s once every four years, and it just means something to go out there and play for your country. There’s no dollar amount that I would want to play in a Ryder Cup or play in an Olympics.” The PGA of America introduced this new payment system to recognize players’ contributions, shifting from the 1999 model. Reed compared the Ryder Cup to the Olympics, while Rory McIlroy echoed the sentiment, saying he “would pay for the privilege to play.” The European team is clearly adamant about not taking monetary rewards for the Ryder Cup.

“It’s one week where you play for more than yourself,” Luke Donald told The Telegraph. “It’s not about money or points; it’s about coming together as a team, and the fans feed off that—it’s all passion. I don’t think we should ever get paid.” Lowry, who is set to play for the second consecutive time, told the Irish Independent, “I love the tournament, and I just want to be involved. I don’t care whether I get paid or not.” Reed’s thoughts on the matter are clearly not new. Europeans feel the same way.

One anonymous European player told The Telegraph, “[The Americans] can do whatever they want. But we don’t want payments in our bank accounts, as it’ll be the thin end of the wedge and is not what the Ryder Cup is about. Let’s face it, a lot of the American players have been angling towards this for years, if not decades. If it does go ahead, then it will be interesting to see how the fans react at Bethpage, although they’ll probably announce it as just an extension of what already happens.” It seems the line between charity and pay at team golf events is gradually fading.

Since 2022, Presidents Cup players have received $250,000 each without being required to donate it all to charity. In 2025, Ryder Cup players will follow suit, keeping part of their payout for the first time, sparking debate over tradition versus fair compensation amid soaring revenues and LIV Golf’s influence.

During the BMW PGA Championship, Reed spoke out against this shift, criticizing the new monetary benefits for the American team. While competing alongside European players, he also observed the strong camaraderie and unity within their squad — an edge he believes will give Europe an advantage at the upcoming Ryder Cup.

Patrick Reed, on the European Team, has an advantage at the Ryder Cup

Speaking about the European team after carding 69 in the first round. He shared about an incredible bond that might help the team. Reed said, “They’re all eating together.” Out of the 12 players, 11 are part of the event, and even Ludvig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick are part of the same group teeing off together. Well, not just that, but Captain America drew a straight comparison between the two sides.

He further added, “The actual brotherhood and camaraderie out here, you don’t really have in the States. Here, you’re jumping country to country, not state to state.” and “That’s definitely an edge that they have over here, the camaraderie and the tightness of the group.” Well, despite the weather adversity and unwanted 90-minute delay, Aberg finished the round leading with eight under, and his fellow Fitzpatrick was two strokes shy with -6 at T4.

With the European team’s advantage, according to Patrick Reed, it would be a challenging task for the American side to overpower. But the venue will definitely be advantageous to the American side. Overall, it is going to be a contest not to miss.