Team Europe won the 20th Solheim Cup on Sunday, beating the United States, 15-13, at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands.
So what do the players who participated in the cup receive in the form of compensation?
The short answer: nothing.
The 24 players who competed this week will leave the Netherlands without a paycheck, although they are compensated in others ways, including an all-expenses paid week, gear, and some potential bonuses baked into their individual sponsorship deals.
As is tradition, players are not paid to compete. That has been the case since the inception of the Solheim Cup in 1990 and, before it, the Ryder Cup in 1927. It is instead considered the honor of a lifetime to compete in the biggest team events in the game.
That being said, there was a partial departure from this tradition when the U.S. hosted the 2025 Ryder Cup.
At Bethpage Black last year, the PGA of America paid the U.S. players and captains $500,000 each, with $300,000 allocated for charity. The European Ryder Cup players remain unpaid.
The general consensus is you are playing for your team, not a payday. That mindset is one of the reasons this week, whether a Ryder Cup year or a Solheim Cup year, is so special.
