Rory McIlroy and the rest of Team Europe's players are not featuring at the Ryder Cup for money, so says captain Luke Donald.

Twelve of Europe's elite golfers head to Bethpage Black Course this week to take on the United States at the Ryder Cup.

Team USA's players and captain are each being paid $500,000 for their participation, though $300,000 of that must be donated to charity.

The European players, however, are not receiving a financial incentive, though Donald said that was a choice.

"I wanted to get ahead of this when I first heard about it last year and looked like it was likely going to happen," Donald said, as reported by ESPN.

"I reached out to all the 12 guys from Rome to see how they felt. Their voices are important. Everyone was like: 'We haven't even considered playing for money for that event.'

"We just don't see that. We understand what it represents. We have a great purpose and that's really enough for us. We understand that the money raised goes to help the European Tour Group and the grassroots.

"We talk a lot about this, we are here to inspire the next generation. So this money is going to good things.

Rasmus, Tyrrell, Shane, Rory, Ollie and Jon enjoying the break between practice and Ryder Cup week 

Shane Lowry | #TeamEurope pic.twitter.com/1HEfYHqJGh

— Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) September 22, 2025

"It will hopefully help future Ryder Cup players become great players. I think our purpose, why we play the Ryder Cup, is pretty strong and that's enough for that week.

"It speaks to what the Ryder Cup means to these guys. A couple of hundred thousand dollars to these guys isn't a lot of money in the grand scheme of things.

"Those weeks of the Ryder Cup, they are the best weeks. There's so much more to them. We certainly don't need any motivation or monetary rewards to get us up."

Donald also suggested the home fans in New York could turn on the USA players if they are not performing, given they are receiving a fee.

"That could happen," Donald said.

"We all know how high the ticket prices are, and it's going to be an expensive trip out for a family of four.

"If the US players are getting paid a stipend, or whatever it is, and they aren't performing, the New Yorkers could make them know about it."

The last Ryder Cup in 2023 was played in Rome. It produced a 16½-11½ win for Europe – the seventh consecutive victory on home soil for the European team.

Meanwhile, the last Ryder Cup played on US soil, in 2021, saw a 19-9 win for the USA, the largest margin of victory in the modern era of the event (since 1979).