Every year, Forbes Magazine publishes a list of the world’s richest athletes. It goes without saying that the absolute superstars from soccer, basketball and tennis are represented here. However, despite their comparatively low profile, golfers earn the most. Whether active professionals like Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson or retired legends like Jack Nicklaus and Greg Norman – golf’s elite definitely rake in the most millions. Here are the richest golfers of all time.
How big is Tiger Woods’ fortune?
He is a living legend and experienced his umpteenth spring this year. He was the first sportsman ever to break the one billion dollar barrier. Behind basketball superstar Michael Jordan, Woods is the second richest athlete in the world. Numerous prize money and, above all, his collaboration with the equipment supplier Nike have made him a wealthy man. Forbes Magazine lists him as having a total fortune of around 1.65 billion US dollars.
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Arnold Palmer – what is his legacy worth?
When Arnold Palmer passed away in September 2016, the golf world lost one of its most enigmatic figures. He was one of the first golfers to use his popularity for marketing purposes and recognize the benefits of TV broadcasts. He is therefore considered one of the very first athletes to make sports marketing and sponsorship acceptable in its current form. In addition to his active career as a golfer, Palmer also made a name for himself as a designer of golf courses. Forbes estimates his estate at just under 1.35 billion US dollars.
Jack Nicklaus – how rich is he?
Along with Tiger Woods and Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus is one of the most famous protagonists in the golf world. Also known by his nickname The Golden Bear, he was one of the best golfers in the world for almost 20 years. After his active sporting career, he dedicated himself to his company Golden Bear International, which is regarded as a leading golf course architect. His success as a golfer, coupled with his business acumen, earned him third place on this list with 1.15 billion US dollars.
Phil Mickelson’s fortune
Phil Mickelson has been a professional golfer since 1992 and will probably continue his career for a few more years. Lefty, as the left-hander is also known, is known for his impulsive style of play, which has put him in trouble before. in 2012, Phil The Thrill was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame. He is likely to add to his current fortune of around 760 million US dollars with a tournament win or two in the future.
Greg Norman and his wealth
The Great White Shark, as Australian Greg Norman is also known due to his white hair, reached the peak of his golf career in the 1980s and 1990s, when he topped the world rankings for over 330 weeks. He won the British Open twice during his career, but failed to win another major title. He is also listed here in fifth place due to his business acumen with an estimated 680 million US dollars.
When you consider that the top three on this list are among the top five richest sportsmen of all time, it becomes clear just how much money there is in golf. Michael Schuhmacher and Michael Jordan are the two other top earners of all time. This shows that golfers’ incomes can easily keep up with those of globally popular icons.
This is the top 10 richest golfers worldwide
The list of the richest golfers is usually based on the total income they have, earned during their career, including prize money, sponsorship contracts, advertising and merchandising income and other business interests. It’s important to note that golfers’ earnings can vary over time and this list may change depending on the source and timing of the calculation. However, here are some of the most famous and financially successful golfers in 2023.
10. John Daly
Date and place of birth: April 28, 1966, Carmichael, California
World Golf Ranking: 1706 (January 2022)
Main sponsor: John Daly Pizza
Net worth: 22.4 million euros
In the early 1990s, John Daley was one of the best golfers in the world. He received huge fees, but never managed to amass an impressive fortune. This was due to his excessive passion for gambling. In those years, many publications wrote that Daley left astronomical sums in casinos. We advise our readers to be responsible and only gamble for pleasure and not to make money. And for those who want to satisfy their need for gambling, we recommend finding an archive of the best online casinos and choosing a trustworthy brand.
9. Fred Couples
Date and place of birth: October 3, 1959, Seattle, Washington
World Golf Ranking: 1706 (January 2022)
Main sponsor: Ecco Golf
Net worth: 116 million euros
Fred Couples turned professional 42 years ago in 1980 and has a huge net worth of 116 million euros. He has 15 victories on the PGA Tour with his only Major win coming at the Masters Tournament in 1992 with a score of 275 (-13). Over the course of his career, Mr. Couples has won a total of 64 professional tournaments.
8. Jordan Spieth
Date and place of birth: July 27, 1993, Dallas, Texas
World Golf Ranking: 14 (January 2022)
Main sponsor: Rolex
Net worth: 116.5 million euros
The 28-year-old American has amassed a whopping 116.5 million euros in net assets. The former world number one and three-time major winner. Spieth’s first big win came at the 2015 Masters Tournament when he shot a 270 (-18) and bagged €1.8 million. He tied the 72-hole record set by Tiger Woods in 1997 and became the second youngest golfer (after Woods) to win the Masters.
7. Rory McIlroy fortune
Date and place of birth: May 4, 1989, Holywood, United Kingdom
World Golf Ranking: 8 (January 2022)
Main sponsor: Nike
Net worth: 179.3 million euros
The Northern Irishman turned professional in 2007 and has won 13 times on the PGA Tour, including four major championships, and 13 times on the European Tour. In 2017, he signed a €100 million contract with TaylorMade to use their clubs, balls and golf bags for 10 years, as well as a €200 million contract with Nike. He also replaced Tiger Woods as the face of EA Sports’ PGA Tour video game in 2015.
6. Gary Player
Date and place of birth: November 1, 1935, Johannesburg, South Africa
World Golf Ranking: No
Main sponsor: Black Knight International
Net worth: 224.1 million euros
Gary Player has racked up 163 professional victories during his successful career. He has won nine majors including; three Green Jackets, three Open Championships, two PGAs and one US Open. The ‘Black Knight’ has several companies represented by Black Knight International, including Gary Player Design, Player Real Estate, The Player Foundation, Gary Player Academies and Black Knight Enterprises, which include licensing, events, publishing, wine, apparel and memorabilia.
5. Jack Nicklaus
Date and place of birth: January 21, 1940, Columbus, Ohio
World Golf Ranking: No
Main sponsor: MacGregor Golf
Net worth: 286.8 million euros
With 115 professional victories and 18 major titles, Jack Nicklaus is considered the greatest golfer of all time – and is perhaps worth 280 million euros. he turned professional in 1961. He is the founder and host of the Memorial Tournament at his own club called Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio. Nicklaus entered into a partnership with his four sons and son-in-law through their company Nicklaus Design. The company has designed over 410 courses in 45 countries, over 1% of all courses worldwide. Now that is impressive!
4. Phil Mickelson
Date and place of birth: June 16, 1970, San Diego, California
World Golf Ranking: 38 (January 2022)
Main sponsor: Heineken N.V.
Net worth: 376.5 million euros
Phil Mickelson, also known as ‘Lefty’, turned professional in 1992 and has 44 wins on the PGA Tour with 5 majors to his name, amassing up to €82 million in total prize money. The only major he has not won is the US Open, where he has finished runner-up six times. Mickelson has spent over 700 weeks in the top 10 of the Official World Golf Ranking. He initially began his contract with Callaway in 2004 and extended it in 2017 to finish his playing career. With his outgoing, fun personality, his new social media career might even provide some extra pocket money.
3. Greg Norman
Date and place of birth: February 10, 1955, Mount Isa, Australia
World Golf Ranking: No
Main sponsor: COBRA PUMA GOLF
Net assets: 403.4 million euros
Greg Norman has an immense new worth of €270 million, he turned professional in 1976 and has amassed 91 professional victories between the PGA, European and Australasia Tours – including two majors at the Open Championship. ‘The Great White Shark’ has a dozen businesses under the umbrella of his company; a golf course design company, the Greg Norman Collection clothing line which launched in 1992, his wine label in 1996 and finally an eyewear label, a restaurant, a butcher’s shop, a real estate development company, a golf academy, luxury housing, a private equity fund and a wakeboard park.
2. Tiger Woods
Date and place of birth: 30.12.1975, Cypress, California
World Golf Ranking: 729 (January 2022)
Main sponsor: Bridgestone
Net worth: 717.2 million euros
And here he is, the richest golfer among the living, a money-making tycoon who has earned an impressive 717 million euros. In addition to his 15 majors and 82 PGA Tour victories, he has left behind an incredible legacy that extends far beyond the golf course.
Under the TGR brand, you can expect a golf course design, a foundation to empower students, a series of charity events, a restaurant and a sports bar in his hometown of “The Woods”. With a net worth of €717 million, having a mansion worth €55 million with its own pitch-and-putt golf course in the garden and a private dock where he can park his 155-foot private yacht “M/Y Privacy” is certainly not out of his budget. Tiger In addition to his 15 major titles and numerous tournament wins, Woods has also signed lucrative sponsorship deals with companies such as Nike, Rolex and Bridgestone.
1. Arnold Palmer
Date and place of birth: September 10, 1929, Latrobe, Pennsylvania
World Golf Ranking: No
Main sponsor: Wilson Sporting Goods
Net worth: 784.4 million euros
How did the “king” of golf, Arnold Palmer, amass a huge fortune of 780 million euros? He seems to have earned only a fraction of his fortune on the golf course. Arnold Palmer founded IMG, one of the world’s leading sports and recruitment agencies, and the Arnold Palmer Design Company, which is responsible for the design of over 300 golf courses around the world.
In addition, Arnold Palmer has worked with Callaway Golf Clubs and EZ-GO Golf Carts and was involved in the founding of the Golf Channel. He has been an ambassador for several leading companies and brands, including Rolex, Hertz, Cadillac, MasterCard, Sears and many others. He has also won 62 PGA Tour events and seven major tournaments.
These are the highest paid golfers by earnings(2022-2023)
Finally, in addition to the total wealth, let’s take a look at how the income of the currently active professional golfers is distributed. According to Forbes, the distribution of income this year is as follows:
Tiger Woods was no longer the highest-earning golfer during this period. According to the source, Tiger Woods’ total earnings amounted to USD 75.1 million. Phil Mickelson came in at USD 10f 102 million during the period.
