• ‘I would pay for the privilege to play in the Ryder Cup’
• Europeans feel fee would be better spent on World Tour

Rory McIlroy has admitted he would pay to play in the Ryder Cup after it emerged US team members could collect $400,000 each for taking on Europe in New York next year. McIlroy believes such a move could undermine the “purity” of the biennial contest.

After pressure from leading players, the PGA of America’s board is seriously considering a move to break with Ryder Cup tradition and pay the 12-man American team by pooling a $5m fund. No such plan is being or will be considered in Europe; a situation McIlroy, the continent’s leading player, is fully behind.