Former American Ryder Cup captains including, it is believed, Tom Watson, have launched an unprecedented alliance against the plan to pay players to compete, with at least 12 signing a letter to the PGA of America against the proposal.

Telegraph Sport revealed last month that the United States team are in line to receive £4 million collectively for next year’s showdown in New York after drawing up proposals to bring an end to the $200,000 charity donation for each player and instead give them $400,000 (£315,000) each. Earlier this month, Tiger Woods announced that he supported the idea, so long as it all goes to charity.

But past US captains – which as well as Watson, the five-time Open champion, are understood to include Ben Crenshaw and Tom Lehman – have rallied together in opposition. Sports Illustrated has reported that a dozen have signed a letter to the PGA of America demanding the proposal be scrapped before next year’s match at Bethpage Black.

The drive for US players to be compensated was triggered again in Italy last year when Patrick Cantlay was accused of not wearing a US cap in protest – which he has consistently denied – and the European fans responded by waving their own hats and ridiculing the inscrutable Californian.

Stefan Schauffele, the father of this year’s Open winner and World No 2 Xander, who is also Cantlay’s playing partner and close friend, called for “players to have a share of the profits”. It was hardly a new debate.

The issue also became a talking point under Crenshaw’s tenure as US captain in 1999 after reports of a potential boycott. “My opinion is no one should be compensated to play for our country and the Ryder Cup,” Crenshaw told Sports Illustrated last week.

“The agreement that was made from ’99 was for the players to receive money for their foundations, that in turn go to charities, and that is something we all agreed on. My position has never changed, nor will it, even though the game has.”

“I’m not sure if this is what the current players want. My hope is no and that they will be content with the money going to their charities. After all, I feel it necessary to honour all the Ryder Cup participants who came before us who proudly represented our country and the PGA of America.”

In contrast, Team Europe have confirmed there are no immediate plans to pay their players with big names claiming they are happy to represent the continent on “passion” alone. In the wake of the Telegraph exclusive, Rory McIlroy went as far to declare that he would “pay for the privilege of playing in the Ryder Cup”.