Who are the highest paid golfers in the world? It should come as no surprise that Tiger Woods has earned more than any player in the history of golf. However, the leaderboard of earners across the PGA Tour and LIV Golf offers some surprising results.
For a majority of professional golfers, there earning power comes on the course. While some are able to earn tens of millions of dollars with sponsorships, appearances and through merchandise sales, the biggest payouts often come by winning major championships, PGA tournaments and competing in other events.
How much is the prize money for winning the US Open?
The 2023 U.S. Open purse is $20 million, the most ever awarded at a major championship. The winner of the U.S. Open will receive $3.6 million. Here’s a breakdown of the payouts by place.
2023 U.S. Open prize payouts – How much do you get for winning the US Open?
- 1st Place: $3.5 million
- 2nd Place: $2.18 million
- 3rd Place: $1.38 million
- 4th Place: $980,000
- 5th Place: $820,000
- 6th Place: $725,000
- 7th Place: $675,000
- 8th Place: $625,000
- 9th Place: $585,000
- 10th Place: $545,000
- 11th Place: $505,000
- 12th Place: $465,000
- 13th Place: $425,000
- 14th Place: $385,000
- 15th Place: $365,000
- 16th Place: $345,000
- 17th Place: $325,000
- 18th Place: $305,000
- 19th Place: $285,000
- 20th Place: $265,000
Here are the highest paid golfers in the world with the data compiled by Forbes.
Highest-paid golfers: 10 highest-earning golfers
10. Scottie Scheffler – $50 million
Scottie Scheffler is No. 1 in the official world golf ranking, but he’s not anywhere close to becoming the highest-paid player in the sport. The 26-year-old is sponsored by Carlsbad, Titleist, Vokey Wedges and the TaylorMade Golf Company, which helps account for $15 million of his earnings. Scheffler took home $2.7 million in 2022 for winning The Masters and his second-place finish at the 2023 PGA Championship earned him $1.54 million. In total, Scheffler has earned $35 million on the golf course.
- Scottie Scheffler stats: 6 PGA Tour Wins, 2022 Masters win
Related: PGA Tour merged with LIV over desperation
9. Jon Rahm – $52 million
Jon Rahm is No. 2 in the world golf rankings, boasting an impressive resume that includes two major wins and multiple top-five finishes. It’s a big reason why the 28-year-old is one of the highest paid golfers right now. Rahm took home $3.24 million for winning the 2023 Masters. Unlike Scheffler, though, a significant amount of his earnings come from endorsements. Among Rahmn’s sponsors are Rolex, Callaway, Blue Yonder and Mercedes-Benz. He could’ve had even more money had he originally joined LIV.
Related: Golfers with most all-time major wins
8. Patrick Reed – $53 million
For some of the highest-paid golfers, a majority of their earning prowess comes on the course. That’s the instance with Patrick Reed, who is estimated to have pulled in $50 million alone in on-course earnings. Reed has nine PGA Tour wins, three European Tour wins and took home the 2018 Masters Tournament. He earned $864,000 for a fourth-place tie at the 2023 Masters, $1.98 million for winning in 2018 and went home with $784,000 after he tied for second at the 2017 PGA Championship. If the success continues, the Texas native should see more endorsement money come in very soon.
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7. Bryson DeChambeau – $71 million
Eight PGA Tour wins, including a 2020 U.S. Open victory, help make Bryson DeChambeau one of the highest paid golfers in the world. DeChambeau earned $2.25 million for taking home the U.S. Open and fourth-place finishes at the PGA Championship in 2020 and ’23 provided him with an additional $1.125 million. DeChambeau also acknowledged he was paid more than $125 million to join LIV Golf, not even including the payouts he received for placing in multiple events. Interestingly, per Forbes, only $1 million of his earnings comes from off-course revenue.
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6. Tiger Woods – $75 million
Tiger Woods is the highest paid golfer ever, but he’s quickly fallen down the leaderboard in 2023. Numerous injuries took a toll on one of the greatest golfers ever, limiting the number of tournaments he keeps in and largely preventing him from winning. While Woods is no longer bringing in the money he used to through purse winnings – 82 PGA Tour Wins, 41 European Tour wins – he is credited with $60 million in off-course earnings. Woods is the only billionaire in the history of professional golf and he could’ve earned even more if he had accepted LIV Golf’s offer ($700-$800 million). However, it might’ve been the best decision as joining LIV would’ve certainly cost him endorsement money.
- Tiger Woods net worth: $1.1 billion
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5. Cameron Smith – $76 million
After winning the 2022 Open Championship – $2.5 million prizemoney – Cameron Smith quickly climbed the list of the highest-paid golfers. The 29-year-old’s first big payout came in 2015, when he received $407,037 for finishing fourth at the U.S. Open. The 2022 PGA Player of the Year also received $1.012 million for a second-place finish at the 2020 Masters Tournament, with an additional $465,000 for a ninth-place tie at the 2023 PGA Championship. Of Smith’s $76 million in estimated earnings, $70 million has come via prize money during his PGA career.
4. Brooks Koepka – $77 million
When Brooks Koepka joined LIV Golf, he signed a contract with a $100 million bonus and then earned an additional $8 million in prize money alone during the 2022 LIV tournaments. It’s just a portion of the money he’s earned during a successful career that includes nine PGA Tour wins and seven European Tour victories. Once the No. 1 golfer in the world, Koepka’s three PGA Championships (2018, ’19, ’23) and two U.S. Open wins (2017-’18) provided him with more than $11 million in prize money alone. In total, Koepka has earned more than $71 million on the course during his career.
Related: Spectators almost hit by tree at 2023 Masters
3. Rory McIlroy – $80 million
Rory McIlroy never took a single dollar from LIV Golf and he never needed it. With a combined 38 victories on the PGA and European Tours, including four majors, McIlroy is easily one of the highest paid golfers ever. McIlroy has an even split of earnings, with $40 million coming from prize money and $40 million earned from endorsements and off-course earnings. While his last majors win came in 2014 (PGA Championship, The Open Championship), McIllroy returned home with $1.62 million after placing second behind Scheffler ($2.7 million) at the 2022 Masters Tournament.
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2. Phil Mickelson – $107 million
Phil Mickelson was one of the biggest names to join LIV Golf, taking the $200 million contract offered to him before the league launched. However, it came at the cost of many of his top sponsors dropping him, resulting in Forbes estimating his off-course earning at just $2 million today. Fortunately for Mickelson, one of the best golfers ever, six major championships and 45 PGA Tour wins have helped him earn more than $100 million in prize money. While he cleared the $100 million mark before placing second at the 2023 Masters Tournament, the surprising finish did earn him another $1.594 million.
Related: Golfers with the most PGA Tour wins of all-time
1. Dustin Johnson – $111 million
Dustin Johnson is the highest paid golfer in the world. While he has fewer victories than Woods and Mickelson, Johnson’s track record of consistently finishing in the top 10 and racking up second-place finishes has helped him earn more than $106 million over the course of his career. When he signed with LIV Golf, he agreed to a deal worth up to $125 million. Johnson has modest earning power away from the golf course ($5 million), but his success with his clubs is what matters the most.
How much does Tiger Woods get paid from golf?
Over the course of his career, Tiger Woods has earned more than $1 billion as a golfer. He is the only billionaire in the PGA Tour’s history, with his earnings coming both from tournament payouts, endorsement deals and memorabilia.
What is the highest PGA earnings in a year?
Scottie Scheffler holds the record with the highest PGA earnings in a single year at $16.263 million, per the PGA Tour’s media guide, which he accomplished in 2023.
- Scottie Scheffler – $16,263,295 (2023)
- Jon Rahm – $14,775,965 (2023)
- Scottie Scheffler – $14,046,910 (2022)
- Jordan Spieth – $12,020,465 (2015)
- Vijay Singh – $10,905,166 (2004)
- Tiger Woods – $10,867,052 (2007)
- Tiger Woods – $10,682,024 (2005)
Who has the most career earnings on the PGA Tour?
Tiger Woods has earned $120.9 million on the PGA Tour, the most ever by any golfer. Here’s the full PGA Tour leaderboard for career earnings.
- Tiger Woods – $120,954,766
- Roy McIlroy – $72,764,057
- Jim Furyk – $71,507,269
- Vijay Singh – $71,326,216
- Adam Scott – $62,371,247
- Justin Rose – $61,076,109
- Jordan Spieth – $59,181,593
Who is the richest caddie on the PGA Tour?
Ted Scott, the caddie for Scottie Scheffler, makes a $135,000 base salary per season, according to RotoWire. Scott has played an instrumental role in Scheffler’s short game, helping Scott earn $843,600 in 2020.