FARMINGDALE:

United States captain Keegan Bradley defended his Ryder Cup players receiving a payment boost from the PGA of America to compete against Europe in this week's showdown at Bethpage Black.

Each US player had been paid $200,000 since 1999, funds designated for a player-picked charity and for PGA of America youth golf and education programs.

This year, the PGA of America gives each player $500,000 with at least $300,000 designated for charities of a player's choice and the other a $200,000 stipend to be used however each individual player sees fit.

The move, Bradley said Monday, was designed to boost charity donations and update offerings for the first time in a quarter-century.

"The PGA of America came to me, they wanted to bring the Ryder Cup into the present day. The chari

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