Deal ire put Ryder Cup place in doubt

Xander Schauffele’s spot on the United States Ryder Cup team was in doubt because of a contractual dispute that was not resolved until a few weeks before the event in Rome, according to the player’s father.

Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele during the Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf Club in Italy. Picture: Getty Images.

Xander Schauffele’s spot on the United States Ryder Cup team was in doubt because of a contractual dispute that was not resolved until a few weeks before the event in Rome, according to the player’s father.

Stefan Schauffele accused the PGA of America of using “strong-arming tactics” over a participation contract that falls into the wider dispute over whether golfers should be paid for playing in the Ryder Cup. Schauffele, the world No 6 who qualified automatically for the US team, played two of his four matches alongside his close friend Patrick Cantlay at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.

Cantlay was repeatedly forced to deny a report that he was at the centre of a locker-room rift revolving around whether the PGA of America should distribute a portion of the profits back to the players.

Cantlay did not wear a USA cap in Rome, either in team photos or on the course, but dismissed a report that claimed his decision was an act of protest against the PGA of America as “not having a shred of truth”, instead saying it was simply because there was not a hat that fitted him. Cantlay said the same at the Ryder Cup in 2021.

Stefan Schauffele, who is his son’s agent and coach but stressed he was not speaking on his behalf, suggested the “ink-smear” about friction might have stemmed from the fact that his son, 29, and Cantlay, 31, had asked for a player participation and benefit agreement, which was sent in July, to be amended in three places.

One of those points related to access to be afforded to a Netflix documentary crew, from which the players did not stand to ­directly benefit financially.

“The PGA of America were not willing to even talk to us about (the three amendments),” Stefan Schauffele said. “It was very late in the schedule right before the team came here (to Rome) to practise because they had moved the deadline and they said, ‘If you don’t sign it by then, you’re off the team.’ But they never gave us the contact information of their legal counsel.

“Saturday morning of Labor Day weekend (September 2), finally, the head of the PGA of America got wind of this, because it was not him that was blocking it, and put our lawyers in contact with the PGA of America’s general counsel and then it took a few hours to hash it out and it was fine. Then I received a message that Xander was back on the team.

“That’s the extent of this and I think it’s shameful.”

The PGA of America, which jointly administers the Ryder Cup, declined to comment. Zach Johnson, the USA captain, and the players voted unanimously in favour of denying Netflix access to their team room to preserve the “sanctity and sacredness of Team USA”.

The dispute was not resolved until early last month - not long before the US team were due to fly to Rome for a scouting trip.

Stefan Schauffele added that the topic of remuneration had not been discussed in Rome, “because it’s the wrong venue and time”, but stressed it is a point of contention.

The PGA of America gives each player on the Ryder Cup team dollars 200,000 (about pounds 165,000) to donate to a charitable cause. Seth Waugh, the chief executive of the PGA of America, said that to secure the players’ releases, the PGA of America distributes 20 per cent of the revenue from its television contract to the PGA Tour and “asks that goes to the pension plan” for its members.

The Times