"These people are missing the point" - Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry spill beans on chat with Michael Jordan about paying Ryder Cup players

One of the hot topics during the most recent edition of the Ryder Cup was the issue of whether or not players should be paid for their attendance. Michael Jordan, a legend of world sport, opposed such an idea saying they were "missing the point of what it means."

Recently, the Irish Independent published the second part of the interview given by Lowry and McIlroy to journalist Paul Kimmage. In this segment, both stars outlined details of their meeting with "MJ" after the European victory.

Michael Jordan visiting the course of the 2014 Ryder Cup (Image via Getty).

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry told the Irish Independent that Michael Jordan spoke to them about the issue of whether the players should get paid for playing in this particular event. According to the Northern Irishman, Jordan illustrated his position with a personal anecdote.

This is what Rory McIlroy told the Irish Independent:

"He ["MJ"] sat with us from six until nine. We were talking about the issue of players being paid at the Ryder Cup and he told a story about the U.S. basketball team, the Dream Team, at the Olympics in '92."

The Northern Irishman quoted Jordan's words this way:

"Do you not think I could have got paid to play in the Olympics? These people are missing the point of what it means."

Then McIlroy continued:

"He saw the long-term value of winning an Olympics and said he ended up doing way better than if he had taken money there and then. And that's pretty much how I see it. I'd say more people watch the Ryder Cup than any other golf tournament in the world.

Rory McIlroy also expressed his commonality of thought with Michael Jordan. In his opinion, the biennial event should be a completely different event. He said:

"I think it captures the casuals' imagination a bit more. So we've got this unbelievable platform to take the game to a new audience, and I think that's way more important than being paid a hundred, or a couple of hundred grand to play in the thing."

The issue of payment for players attending the Ryder Cup made headlines during the most recent edition of the event. Specifically, Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele made statements on the matter.

Is Michael Jordan a fan of the Ryder Cup?

According to Rory McIlroy, Michael Jordan is a big fan of the biennial event and is a fervent supporter of the American team. So said the Northern Irishman to the Irish Independent:

“He’s very much a pro-USA guy. I think it [the 2023 edition] was the first Ryder Cup he hadn’t been to in 25 years."

And that's exactly how it is. According to Golf Digest, Michael Jordan first attended the event in 1997 (Valderrama Golf Club, Spain). Since then, he hadn't missed one until the recent one held at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club.

Being a Ryder Cup enthusiast is a common derivative of anyone who enjoys golf, and Jordan's fondness for the sport is well-known. The legendary number 23 of the Chicago Bulls discovered golf in his college days and never gave it up. He himself became an excellent amateur player with a single-digit handicap in his youth.