Jordan Spieth may be the defending FedEx Cup champion but he would rather win the Ryder Cup than clinch the most lucrative prize in golf.
A second successive FedEx Cup title would earn Spieth a cool $10 million bonus. Golf pros don’t get paid to compete in the Ryder Cup competition between Europe and the US.
“If you’re saying 2016, right now, I’ve got a choice — Ryder Cup,” the American told reporters ahead of the Tour Championship at East Lake, Atlanta which starts Thursday.
The Tour Championship is the final event of four play-off tournaments that all count toward the FedEx Cup title.
Painful memories
“You want something you don’t have. That’s a trophy that I’ve watched the other side of and it hurt. It was tough at the closing ceremony,” said Spieth, referring to Europe’s win over the US at Gleneagles in Scotland two years ago when he was a rookie.
With Europe winning the last three editions of the Ryder Cup, the US team have a chance to take revenge at home with the 2016 Ryder Cup taking place at the Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota Sept. 27 through Oct. 2.
FedEx Cup standings
Spieth is currently seventh in the FedEx Cup standings, meaning he needs to win the Tour Championship to have a chance of retaining his title.
Fellow American Dustin Johnson leads the standings and is one of five men (together with Patrick Reed, Adam Scott, Jason Day and Paul Casey) who will win the FedEx Cup if they take the Tour Championship, for the top 30 golfers, at East Lake this weekend.
“I don’t have a Ryder Cup,” said Spieth, who was criticized for skipping last month’s Rio Olympics, citing health concerns.
“I think I will have a Ryder Cup at some point. I think that will be easier to win, easier to have a Ryder Cup than a FedEx Cup going forward, given that you may not play your best and you’ve got teammates around you that play their best and win it.”