The 20 Richest Pro Golfers To Ever Step Foot On The Green
Golf might not be the most physical of sports, but it can be one of the most lucrative. Indeed, two golfers have appeared in Forbes magazine’s list of the highest-paid athletes every year since 2006. Here’s a look at 20 of the all-time richest.
David Toms has won 13 different PGA Tour events, most notably the PGA Championship in 2001. The Louisiana-born golfer also enjoyed a 175-week stint in the Official World Golf Ranking, reaching a career high of fifth in 2002. All this has helped him to rake in an estimated $35 million fortune.
Davis Love III received one of the greatest honors in the sport when he was asked to captain America’s Ryder Cup team in both 2012 and 2016. The 1997 PGA Championship winner also has 21 PGA Tour titles to his name. And that illustrious career means that in 2017 he’ll receive his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Australian golfer Adam Scott has broken numerous national records since bursting onto the scene in the early ’00s. Indeed, he became the first Aussie to win The Masters in 2013. One year later, moreover, he enjoyed a brief three-month stint as the world’s number one.
Lee Westwood may not have a major championship to his name, but he’s one of the rare golfers to win tournaments over five continents. In 2010, meanwhile, Westwood usurped Tiger Woods as the world number one, and he has also played for Europe in the ultimate ten editions of the Ryder Cup. That $40 million fortune is clearly well-earned, then.
Fellow Englishman Luke Donald has also built a $40 million fortune having spent an overall total of 56 weeks at the top of the World Golf Ranking. He’s also been awarded the European Tour Golfer and PGA Player of the Year awards and the Vardon Trophy during his career. His stellar achievements were rewarded with an MBE in 2012.
Ireland’s second-most famous golfer has won three major titles during his career: the Open twice and the PGA Championship. Pádraig Harrington will also no doubt have his enormous wealth in order more than any other golfer, as he studied accountancy before turning pro.
One of the few retired golfers on this list, Lee Trevino became a Hispanic sporting hero during his heyday. And for good reason: he won 29 PGA Tours and six major championships. The man nicknamed The Merry Mex is also part of an elite group to have twice won the PGA Championship, the British Open and the U.S. Open.
Sergio García spent nearly the whole of the ’00s in the World Golf Ranking Top Ten, peaking at number two in 2008. And although the Spaniard has never won a major title, frustratingly for him he’s been runner-up four times. He has also lost out twice at both the PGA Championship and the British Open.
Jim Furyk’s career in the Top Ten rankings spans from 1999 right up until 2015. Plus, the American professional has also amassed a rather impressive $50 million fortune. That’s thanks to achievements such as the PGA Tour Player of the Year, a win at the 2003 U.S. Open and the lowest PGA Tour score of all time.
One-time world number one Jordan Spieth once made TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People list due to exemplifying “everything that’s great about sports.” The second-youngest ever winner of The Masters and the 2015 U.S. Open champion has also apparently amassed a net worth of $60 million. Incredibly, he’s still only 23.
One of the greatest golfers of his generation, Nick Faldo spent 97 weeks as world number one. During his career, moreover, the Englishman won three Masters and Open Championships and lifted 30 European Tour titles. He’s since added to his considerable fortune by working as an analyst for both CBS Sports and BBC Sport.
Like Faldo, Ernie Els has boosted his coffers elsewhere, thanks to successful businesses in wine-making and golf course design. He’s made the majority of his $75 million fortune on the course, though, enjoying 71 career wins and four major titles. Additionally, he once had a record-breaking stint as world number one.
Renowned for his thorough preparation on the green, Fijian sporting hero Vijay Singh has proved that hard work pays off. The World Golf Hall of Famer now has around $75 million to his name and triumphed in three major titles: the PGA Championship twice and The Masters. Plus, he’s enjoyed 32 weeks as world number one.
Still only in his late twenties, Rory McIlroy will no doubt appear much higher up this list in the near future. The Northern Irishman has already amassed an impressive $102 million thanks to four majors and a 95-week spell as world number one. Various high-profile sponsorship deals, meanwhile, will almost have certainly added to his fortune, too.
Former world numero uno Fred Couples has proved to be just as successful on the senior circuit as he was on the regular one. He’s lifted two major senior titles to go with The Masters and Players Championship he won during his heyday. And like Ernie Els, he’s also added to his wealth as a successful golf course designer.
South African Gary Player is the singular non-American to have achieved golf’s Grand Slam (bagging the four major titles). He also won a staggering 165 tournaments during his six-decade career. But it’s his many business interests, which include real estate, publishing, memorabilia and wine, that have helped him reach the upper echelons of the sport’s rich list.
Viewed by many as the greatest ever golfer, Jack Nicklaus won an incredible 18 major titles during his lengthy career, as well 73 PGA Tour titles overall. The youngest ever Grand Slam winner has also enjoyed success as a senior player, a golf course designer and an author. All this means that he’s amassed a whopping $280 million.
Nicknamed The Shark, Australian Greg Norman enjoyed an astonishing 331 weeks as the world’s top golfer during the ’80s and ’90s. Like many of his peers, the winner of two majors and 20 PGA Tour tournaments has also pursued various business interests. But he’s also given something back, with numerous philanthropic projects under his belt.
Nicknamed Lefty, American golfer Phil Mickelson has yet to win the U.S. Open, finishing runner-up an agonizing six times. Likewise, he’s failed to achieve world number one status. But he’s still the sport’s second-richest player ever thanks to 42 PGA Tour victories, including three Masters titles.
Since breaking through in the ’90s, Tiger Woods has become one of the world’s most famous, and richest, sportsmen. What’s more, he’s won 14 major titles, 79 PGA Tour events and 11 PGA Player of the Year awards, too. And even with the setback of his infamous infidelity scandal, he still has a fortune twice that of his nearest rival.
