Solheim Cup Players Get No Prize Money, Unlike Ryder Cup Now

No one gets paid at the Solheim Cup. Not the winning team, not the losing team, and not a single one of the 24 players, two captains or their assistants. What they do receive is the week itself: flights to the event, accommodation, food and drink, team clothing, golf bags and gear, plus sponsor bags on top.

What do Solheim Cup players actually receive?

According to Golf News Net's reporting on the event's structure, players are flown in, put up for the week and have their meals covered, with clothing and equipment provided alongside additional gear from sponsors. That arrangement covers all 24 players regardless of how the matches finish, and it extends to the captains and assistant captains as well — none of whom receive a fee for the role.

Why is the Ryder Cup different now?

For 25 years, the men's equivalent worked the same way: from 1999, each U.S. Ryder Cup player had a fixed sum allocated in his name, restricted to charitable giving, and that figure never changed across six editions of the event. In December 2024, the PGA of America's board approved a new structure, first applied at the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, splitting a larger sum between a charitable donation and a personal stipend for each of the 12 U.S. players and the captain.

U.S. captain Keegan Bradley described the change as overdue, saying the PGA of America "wanted to bring the Ryder Cup into the present day" after 25 years without an update to the charity allocation. Scottie Scheffler declined to say publicly what he'd do with his share, and several American players have said they intend to donate the full amount to charity.

One team sport reopened the pay question in 2024. The other three built on the same amateur-spirit logic have not.

The change applies only to the U.S. Ryder Cup team. European Ryder Cup players remain unpaid, and several, including Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, have said in the past they would rather pay to play than be paid for it. The PGA of America has compared its new structure to how the PGA Tour treats the Presidents Cup, so the model isn't unprecedented in men's golf — it simply hasn't reached the Solheim Cup.

Has the Solheim Cup considered a similar change?

Not publicly. No reporting has surfaced of the LPGA, the Ladies European Tour or Solheim Cup organizers discussing payment in either direction, and no Solheim Cup player has been reported commenting on the Ryder Cup's 2025 change. Nelly Korda has previously described playing for something larger than herself as one of the most rewarding parts of the event.