Golf is one of the most prestigious and difficult sports in the world. It takes immense skill and focus to rise to the top but the players reap the rewards. Let’s take a look at some of the highest paid golfers in history, as of 2024.
1. Tiger Woods – $1.07bn
Tiger Woods is one of the most recognisable names in the world, and for good reason. He is currently joint-top with Sam Snead with the most wins on a PGA tour – 82 wins in total to be precise – and Woods will be eager to surpass that record despite recent struggles with fitness following a high-speed car accident in 2021.
The 48-year-old is a 15-time major championships winner and he’s just three majors behind record holder Jack Nicklaus.
That record looks to be out of reach for Woods, who has decided to extend his break from the PGA tour, but he continues to work hard for a return to the course.
Tiger Woods’ net worth stands at just over $1bn, making him one of the richest athletes on the planet. In 2022, Forbes declared him only the second-ever athlete to achieve billionaire status after Lebron James.
2. Greg Norman – $400m
A significant step down in net worth, but still a remarkable achievement by a remarkable player. Greg Norman is now retired but he enjoyed an illustrious career, most notably spending 331 weeks as the world number one through the 1980s-1990s.
He is a two-time Open Championship winner and secured 88 tournament victories at the end of his career.
Norman is now a successful entrepreneur and is still heavily involved in the golf world with LIV Golf.
3. Jack Nicklaus – $400m
Jack Nicklaus, despite being retired for almost two decades, still manages to get in the top three. He leads the Nicklaus design firm and it’s said that he’s helped build over 290 golf courses worldwide.
As mentioned earlier, Nicklaus holds the record most major championship wins with 18. The 84-year-old also secured 73 PGA tour victories. Globally, he won 118 times, which cements his status as one of the greatest golfers of all time.
4. Phil Mickelson – $300m
Phil Mickelson is a six-time major winner and has a total of 45 wins on the PGA tour. In 2023, Forbes declared him the seventh highest-paid athlete. Throughout his career, Mickelson has earned a whopping $104m on the course, and a further $2m off it
5. Gary Player – $250m
Gary Player is the third retired player on the highest paid golfers list but he has had an amazing career. The South African has won over 150 tournaments including 24 on the PGA tour. He is a nine-time major winner over the 50s-70s.
When he was just 29, Player achieved a remarkable feat by winning the 1965 U.S. Open, becoming the only non-American to secure all four major championships in a career This remarkable achievement is known as the career Grand Slam.
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