Patrick Cantlay reveals what he's doing with Ryder Cup paycheque
United States Ryder Cup star Patrick Cantlay has claimed he will donate every single penny of his paycheque to charity.
Patrick Cantlay says he plans to donate every single penny of his Ryder Cup paycheque to charity.
The US golfer become the pantomime villain when the red, white and blue clashed with Europe two years ago in Italy.
He was accused of not wearing a Team USA cap at Marco Simone as a sign of protest for not being compensated.
The United States team rallied around Cantlay when that unsubstantiated report emerged and led to thousands of European fans goading the golfer.
Chants of "Hats off for your bank account" rang around the course during the evening session on day two that culminated in a huge bust-up between Rory McIlroy and Cantlay's caddie Joe LaCava.
Several players decided not to wear caps during the Sunday singles to show support for their teammate.
Cantlay told reporters at Bethpage Black on Tuesday he is "not bitter" about what transpired in Rome.
He also claimed he had no involvement in discussions with the PGA of America about the topic.
And Cantlay also reiterated that the reason he didn't wear a cap was because it simply didn't fit.
"Like I've said a million times, the hat didn't fit last year, and this year we worked with them to make sure we had one, and we got one, so we're good," he said.
Cantlay also confirmed that he will give away every penny of his pay cheque.
All 12 members of the US team are being paid $500,000 this week, with $300,000 going to charity. The golfers are free to do as they wish with the rest.
Captain Keegan Bradley, Bryson DeChambeau, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele are among those who have already stated they will also give their cash away.
Cantlay says he will do the same.
"I think one of the great things about these team events for me is there's always such a big charitable component to it, and so I'm going to donate the money to my charity," Cantlay said.
"We work with a number of foundations. We work with First Responders Children's Foundation and we work with the SCPGA Junior Tour and we've work with St. Jude and Folds of Honor, and so I'm excited about our continued partnership with those organizations.
"They do such fantastic work, and a lot of their work really - a lot of their work is really important to me.
"I grew up playing Southern California junior golf on that SCPGA Junior Tour. My parents would drive me to events on the weekends, and if I was lucky I'd get to skip school on Friday to play a practice round.
"That's where I learned to love to play competitive golf. If I can give back to organizations that have helped make me who I am today, hopefully someone growing up in Southern California gets that opportunity and can follow their dreams as well."
Captain Bradley defends US payments
US skipper Bradley met with reporters on Monday alongside his European counterpart Luke Donald.
Both captains spoke fondly of each-other.
Donald has already warned the US players they risk "losing" the support of the New York crowd should they under-perform.
The former World No.1 explained that ticket prices of $750 and the fact the US players are getting paid will not help matters.
Bradley said he was "not concerned" with what the Europeans thinks.
"I'm concerned about what my team is doing," he said.
“I was tasked with a job the PGA of America asked me to do, and this was what we decided. We wanted to bring the Ryder Cup into today’s age, and we felt like this was the best way to do it.
"We copied a lot of what the Presidents Cup does. We did the best we could, and I think a lot of good is going to come from this.
"I think the players are going to do a lot of good with this money, and I think it’s great…
"I think the goal here was that the charity dollars hadn’t been raised in 25, 26 years, and that’s what we started out doing.
"Again, we did a lot of what the Presidents Cup did, and these players are going to do the right thing and do a lot of really good with this money."
Bradley said he would donate every penny to charity, but stopped short of declaring if other players will do so.
"I think for everyone it's a personal decision," he said.
"A lot of guys aren't comfortable sharing what they're going to do with their money, but we're going to donate.
"For us, the PGA of America, this happens after the Ryder Cup, so this is something that w'’ll worry about after.
"But ultimately, the PGA of America asked me to help out with this, and this is the best way we came up with to do it.
"I think that's a personal decision. I don't donate to charities to publicize what we're doing.
"These guys on our team are incredible people, and they do a lot of incredible things with charity dollars and with their foundations.
"A lot of them aren't comfortable sharing that sort of information, and I feel the same way."
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