Mirror, mirror on the wall, who's the richest golfer of them all?
You can almost retire from winning one event on golf tour. And if you are clever and invest wisely, you can become one of the richest people on the planet.
Thanks to Tiger Woods inflating the purses, golf earnings have skyrocketed over recent years. Someone once asked Rory McIlroy how he felt when seeing Tiger leading the 2019 Masters Tournament, to which he reportedly replied “when Tiger is up there, it’s a pay cheque for everybody,” he said, “the players, the media, the television, nobody minds when he’s winning, you just don’t want to be on the wrong end of it.”
Interestingly enough, there is a difference of about $715 million between number 10 and number 1.
According to various sources, these are the 10 richest golfers at the moment, starting from 10 to 1.
10. ERNIE ELS: $85 Million
The tall South African, also known as ‘The big easy’ has won 19 times on the PGA Tour and 28 times on the European Tour, across all tours combined, has won 65 times, including four Majors including the U.S Open and The Open Championship. Off-course, Els is director of a golf course design business and designed the stunning Els Golf Club in Dubai.
9. JORDAN SPIETH: $100 Million
The American has racked up a hefty $100 million net worth at only 26-years-old. As former world number one and three-time Major winner Spieth’s wallet is definitely bulging. His first major win came in the 2015 Masters Tournament, where he pocketed a cool $1.8 million. He became the second youngest golfer (behind Tiger Woods) to win the Masters.
8. FRED COUPLES: $120 Million
Fred Couples is one of golf’s legends. He turned professional 40 years ago in 1980 Since then he’s totted up 15 wins on the PGA Tour with his only Major win at the Masters Tournament in 1992. The former world number one, Couples has won a total of 64 professional tournaments during his illustrious career.
7. RORY MCILRO: $130 Million
The Northern Irishman from Belfast weighs in at a substantial $130 million dollars net worth. He turned professional in 2007 and has won 13 times on the PGA Tour, including four Major championships, he has also won 13 times on the European Tour. In 2017, he signed a $100-million deal with TaylorMade to use their clubs, ball and golf bag for 10 years. He also signed a lucrative as $200-million deal with Nike. He replaced Tiger Woods as the face of EA Sports’ PGA Tour video game in 2015.
6. GARY PLAYER: $250 Million
Another golf legend, Player, or ‘the Black knight’ has racked up 163 professional wins throughout his successful career. He’s won nine Majors which include; three Green Jacket’s, three Open Championships, two PGAs and one U.S. Open. Player also has several businesses represented by Black Knight International, which includes 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.
The final countdown5. GREG NORMAN: $300 Million
Greg Norman has an enormous net worth of $300 million. One of the old men of the sport, he turned professional in 1976 and has accumulated 91 professional wins between the PGA, European and Australasia Tours – including two majors at the Open Championship. ‘The Great White Shark’ has a dozen businesses under his company’s umbrella including a golf course design firm, the Greg Norman Collection apparel line, his wine label, an eyewear label, a restaurant, a real-estate development firm, a golf academy, luxury housing, a private-equity fund and a wakeboard park. Greg has definitely turned his golfing talent into some serious entrepreneurship.
4. JACK NICKLAUS: $320 Million
Jack Nicklaus is considered to be the greatest golfer of all time with 115 professional wins and 18 major titles. No need to wonder why his bank balance is $320 million strong. He turned pro in 1961. Jack is also the founder and host of the Memorial Tournament at his own club called Muirfield Village in Dublin, Ohio. In partnership with his four sons and his son-in-law through their company, he is part of Nicklaus Design. The company has designed over 410 courses in 45 countries.
3. PHIL MICKELSON: $400 Million
Phil Mickelson, or ‘Lefty’, turned pro in 1992 and has amounted 44 wins on the PGA Tour with 5 Majors to his name accumulating up to $82 million in total prize money. The only major he hasn’t won is the U.S. Open. He initially started his contract with Callaway in 2004 and extended it in 2017 which see out his playing career. With his outgoing personality, his new social media ‘career’ might even make him a few extra bucks – not that he needs it!
2. ARNOLD PALMER: $700 Million
The ‘King’ of golf, Arnold Palmer has a staggering $700-million net worth. Even thou he won 62 PGA Tour events and 7 Majors rumour has it he only made a fraction of his worth on the golf course. Palmer built IMG, one of the world’s best sports and talent agencies. He also cashes in with Arnold Palmer drinks brand and AriZona Beverages, Arnold Palmer Design Company, responsible for the design of more than 300 courses worldwide, his association with Callaway golf clubs and E-Z-GO Golf Carts, his work in founding Golf Channel, his global apparel brands and of course his longtime role with for several top companies and brands, including Rolex, Hertz, Cadillac, MasterCard, Sears.
1. TIGER WOODS: $800 Million
It should come as no surprise that Tiger Woods is the richest golfer of all time. This money-making tycoon is worth a whopping $800 million. Tiger has developed an incredible legacy that extends far beyond his 15 Majors and 82 PGA Tour wins. He is responsible for raising purses into the millions of dollars due to his unbelievable play and mass appeal.
He has also found a way of building a legacy that doesn’t involve birdies and bogeys. Under the TGR brand, you can expect golf course design, a foundation to empower students, a series of charitable events, a restaurant and sports bar in his hometown called ‘The Woods’.
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