Golf is certainly not as popular as soccer, basketball, or formula 1, but interestingly the sport is undoubtedly one of the most lucrative games that enable players to smile to the bank after winning a major tour or signing lucrative endorsement deals.
While the sport is considered a rich man’s game, it’s also a well-known fact that it’s one of the oldest sports in the world with a relatively decent audience who followed the game painstakingly.
While top athletes like Micheal Jordan and Lionel Messi are considered the richest athletes in their respective fields, we’ve dug deep into the archives to uncover some of the richest golf players in the world who also left their mark on the game.
List Of The Richest Golfers In The World
Vijay Singh – ($75m)
If a nickname plays a part in someone’s life or career, then the nickname ‘The Big Fijian’ has absolutely played a part in Singh’s finance and career as a professional golfer over the years.
Singh was no doubt one of the best golfers who left his mark on the game before he retired. While actively playing he was privileged to achieve great successes for himself, winning the PGA Tour Rookie of the year, Vardon Trophy, Byron Nelson Award, and European Tour Golfer of the year.
As the first Fijian golfer to win a major championship plus being inducted into the World Golf Hall Of Fame, it’s quite understandable why he’s been ranked among the richest golf players in the world with a net worth estimated to be $75million.
Ernie Els – ($85m)
Rank in number nine is South African Ernie Els, known for his imposing physical stature and fluid golf swing when on the turf.
Call him the poster boy of golf in South Africa and you’ll probably not be wrong due to his impact on the game and how successful his career in playing golf was.
Interestingly Els is among the six golfers to have won both the U.S. Open and the Open Championship twice, a great record yet to be broken by any South African golfer.
Aside been an amazing golfer with huge success to show for it, Els is also well-known to be a brilliant businessman with a winemaking business and a charitable foundation that supports the growth of golf among underprivileged youth in South Africa.
Jordan Spieth – ($115m)
Spieth is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour and former world number one in the Official World Golf Ranking. The eighth richest golf player in the world is also a three-time major winner with another title in the FedEx Cup in 2015.
The 29-year-old star turned professional in 2012 at the age of 19 and he has since grown into a more consistent golfer who keeps achieving success on and off the turf as an elite player.
It pays to play well on the PGA Tour, particularly at a designated event right? In that regard, Spieth has done his part in some of those majors, and in return, he’s ranked as one of the best and richest golfers on the planet.
Fred Couples – ($120m)
Couples is ranked seventh on our list as one of the wealthiest golfers in the world, and most importantly one of the most renowned professional golfers around. The 63-year-old garnered the nickname ‘Boom Boom’ for his unrivaled long and accurate driving ability off the tee during the early stage of his career.
He amassed a mouthwatering net worth from both his business and investments, plus his career earnings as a golfer which undoubtedly played a vital role in skyrocketing his net worth estimated to be $120million.
The former three US President Cup captain didn’t only achieve success off the turf, he also did on the turf winning everything that has to be won in the world of golf including PGA Tour Player of the Year both in 1991, and 1992 among others.
Rory McIIroy – ($170)
Golf current world number one McIIroy is unarguably one of the finest golf players ever to swing the clubs for his years of consistency and impact at the highest level of the game.
He may not be ranked as the wealthiest or richest golfer on the planet presently, however, being ranked as one of the richest in the world says a lot about how organically his net worth has risen over the years as a professional golfer.
While Rory McIIroy is among the richest golfer around, interestingly the Northern Ireland golfer is also the youngest player to earn €10million on the European Tour which is also a plus to his career and worth.
Gary Player – ($250m)
Gary Player’s name will undoubtedly go down in the lore of golf as one of the greatest to ever swung the clubs while active. The great Gary Player is a South African retired golfer who is widely revered for his impact on the game before and after his retirement.
Been one of the finest the golf world has ever seen, Player won nine major championships on the regular tour and nine major championships on the Champions Tour, including winning the US Open in 1965 and becoming the only non-American to win all four majors in a career Grand Slam then.
While it is a known fact that Player left a great mark on the game, it is also important to state that he’s reported to be one of the richest golfers with a mouthwatering net worth of approximately $250million.
Jack Nicklaus – ($400m)
Nicklaus is a retired legend of the game who is widely considered to be one of the greatest golfers of all time. The Golden Bear won 177 professional tournaments in a quarter century and record 18 major championships, three more than second-placed Tiger Woods.
Nicklaus’s career achievements include competing in 164 major tournaments more than any other player, and finishing with 73 PGA Tour victories third behind Sam Snead and Tiger Woods who both had (82).
With an estimated net worth of $400million, Jack Nicklaus is undoubtedly one of the richest golfers in the world with a smiling fiance and cabinet filled with trophies.
Phil Mickelson – ($400m)
Phil Mickelson, popularly called ‘Lefty’ is an American professional golfer who plays for LIV Golf. Phil made the headlines at the 2021 PGA Championship when he became the oldest major winner in history at the age of 50 years, 11 months, and 7 days.
While it is reported that he lost millions of dollars to gambling, yet the American still manages to have a spot on this list as one of the richest golfers in the world with a gigantic and mouthwatering net worth.
As of this year, his estimated net worth is on a big scale having signed a lucrative contract with LIV Golf, which without mincing word added a significant amount to his wealth as a professional golfer.
Greg Norman – ($400m)
Number two on our list is the CEO of LIV Golf Greg Norman, who is known for his beautiful golfing career and philanthropic activities.
Walk up to any Australian golf fan and ask them who they think is one of the best golf players to ever come out of the country, they’ll probably tell you Norman because of his achievements winning 20 tournaments on the PGA Tour, 14 in Europe, 31 on the Australian Tour and two British Opens in 1986, 1993.
His net worth as one of the richest golfers is estimated to be $400million, thanks to his golfing career and the lucrative businesses he invested in to garner such mouthwatering wealth.
Tiger Woods – ($1.1b)
When it comes to golf the name Tiger Woods is a household, as such he needs no introduction when talking about the greatest and richest golfer ever to play the game.
Woods is a winner of 15 professional major golf championships and 82 PGA Tour events, great achievements which have made him a massive force in the game for a long even when he went through a torrid time he still remains one of the best around.
Rank as the richest golfer in the world simply means Woods has duly paid his dues on the grandest of stages, and as a matter of fact, in 2022 his net worth reached a milestone of $1.1billion which makes him the overall richest golfer on the planet.
Article updated 2 months ago. Content is written and modified by multiple authors.
