So, what’s the big deal about golf? Money. Professional golfers not only have a smaller risk of injury compared to other athletes who play football or hockey, their paychecks are just as big if not bigger! That’s right. Golfers often earn millions for playing a sport they love without the fear of career-threatening injuries. In fact, many golfers become millionaires after winning a single tournament!
#15 – Lee Trevino ($40 Million)
Starting off our list of golfers is the 75 year old Lee Trevino who, aside from being the oldest on our list, began his professional golf career in 1960. With a stunning 89 tournament wins, Trevino’s biggest successes include six major titles with two wins each at the U.S. Open, the British Open and the PGA Championship. The only major title that Trevino is missing is a win at The Masters. What an incredible record!
The former 1971 PGA Player of Year was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1981 and has a long list of endorsements to his name, which include a hilarious spin-off endorsement on “The Simpsons”. But, Trevino earned most of his wealth during his later golf days after he retired from the PGA and joined the Senior PGA Tour. Needless to say with 29 wins, Trevino has dominated the senior tour where he ranks second all-time. Those wins definitely add up and Trevino’s bank account proves it!
#14 – Adam Scott ($40 Million)
No, we aren’t talking about the actor Adam Scott! Hailing from Australia, golfer Adam Scott has made his mark on the PGA Tour thanks to an incredible start to his professional career. Scott even reached the top of the golf world in 2014 when he earned a spot as the top ranked golfer for nearly three months, which is quite the accomplishment in such a competitive sport!
At just 35 years old, the young golfer has won a total of 27 tournaments so far with 11 wins on the PGA. Despite having only one major championship under his belt after winning the 2013 Masters, Scott is definitely on top of his game when it comes to money. From high paying endorsements to competing in the FedEx Cup Playoffs and other tournaments, it’s hard for this golfer to complain about a cool $40 million in the bank!
#13 – Lee Westwood ($40 Million)
From a Mexican-American golfer and an Australian to one of England’s finest, next on our list is the 42 year old Lee Westwood. A professional golfer since 1993, Westwood isn’t well known for his golfing success in the United States but has proved to be quite the master on the European Tour. With 23 wins on the Tour and ranking eighth-all time, Westwood has even added an additional 17 international wins, including two in the PGA.
With professional success on his home soil and abroad, Westwood has proven himself on the course and has finished at least third in all four of the major golf tournaments. This growing success and numerous endorsement deals throughout his native England has obviously made him very wealthy. Don’t count on this golfer retiring anytime soon, however, since Westwood also made headlines when he ended Tiger Woods’ long reign as the world’s number one golfer in 2010. Look who ousted the Tiger!
#12 – Rory McIlroy ($50 Million)
From the oldest golfer on our list to the youngest, meet Rory McIlroy a Northern Ireland native who, at only 26 years old, has become an overnight golf sensation and celebrity. With Tiger Woods’ time at the top over (thanks to Lee Westwood ousting the golfing great in 2010), the golf industry has looked for another marketable player to dominate the sport and, it appears, that McIllroy is just the man for the job.
Just now entering his prime, McIllroy already has 18 professional wins, including four major tournaments, and is only missing the famed Green Jacket from The Masters. The two-time PGA Tour Player of the Year in 2012 and 2014, McIllroy is a leading money winner with companies waiting in line to endorse him. It seems that even Nike has jumped on the McIllroy bandwagon as they have asked the young professional to tag up with Tiger Woods in their latest commercial. Perhaps Tiger is passing the torch after all?
#11 – Jim Furyk ($50 Million)
Hailing from West Chester, Pennsylvania, Jim Furyk has long been considered the quiet underdog with a mighty (and odd) swing in the world of professional golf. At 45 years old, the University of Arizona alum and veteran golfer first launched his professional career in 1992. Since then, he has earned one major title after his 2003 win at the U.S. Open. But, this big win wasn’t how Furyk became a millionaire.
Though a win at the U.S. Open netted him fast cash in the bank, 2010 proved to be a great year for Furyk. With a 2010 win at the FedEx Cup and being named the PGA Tour Player of the Year, the sky was the limit! Add in a $10 million payout from FedEx, 27 professional victories and endorsement deals from leading sports companies like 5 Hour Energy and Furyk’s $50 million net worth literally seemed to happen overnight.
#10 – Nick Faldo ($60 Million)
Considered to be royalty when it comes to golf, Englishmen Nick Faldo actually goes by Sir Nicholas Faldo MBE. Launching his professional career in 1976, the 58 year old golfer ranks fifth all-time on the European Tour with 30 wins and 41 overall professional tournament wins. With six major championships including The Masters and three wins at The British Open, Faldo’s success seems endless!
Dominating the European Tour, Faldo’s career continued to skyrocket as endorsement deals brought him celebrity status and hefty paychecks for nearly 40 years. Thanks to his long and illustrious professional career on the course, it was no surprise when CBS asked the pro in 2006 to join the network as their lead golf analyst. Since then, the keen businessman and retiree has hung up his professional clubs after making his last professional putt in the 2015 British Open. If he isn’t on the course, we sure are glad he’s still on the screen!
#9 – Ernie Els ($75 Million)
Turning our attention to the first South African player on our list, Ernie Els is often known by his fans and colleagues as “The Big Easy”. Now just 45 years old, Els turned professional over 25 years ago and has since won 68 tournaments including two U.S. Open and two British Open titles. With his most recent win in 2012 at the British Open, Els is still on a winning streak!
Inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011, Els has international appeal thanks to his South African roots and general likeability. Because of this, his endorsement deals have been through the roof, allowing him to focus more on his game and keeping his spot in the world’s top 10 golfers for nearly 800 weeks! As if this wasn’t enough, the millionaire golf pro has even opened up a winery and is trying his hand at designing state of the art golf courses.
#8 – Vijay Singh ($75 Million)
Quick! How many golfers can you name from Fiji? If the only one that comes to mind is Vijay Singh, then you’re not alone! The 52 year old Singh was once the number one ranked golfer in the world for more than six months between 2004 and 2005. Talk about incredible! With over a 30 year professional career, it’s no surprise that this golf favorite has two PGA Championship wins and a 2000 victory at The Masters.
When you’ve been a golfer for as long as Singh and have 59 professional tournament wins, then having a mega million dollar bank account isn’t much of a surprise! After his 2008 win at the FedEx Cup, the already popular (and wealthy) Singh added a cool $10 million for the win as companies from around the world started lining up to endorse him. From his near 60 wins to his impressive list of endorsements and supporters, it’s no surprise that this Hall of Fame member has $75 million in the bank!
#7 – Fred Couples ($105 Million)
First launching his professional career 35 years ago, Fred Couples has an impressive mark of 63 career wins, including a victory at the 1992 Masters. Known as “Boom Boom”, the 56 year old pro was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2013 and won back-to-back PGA Tour Player of the Year awards in 1991 and 1992.
Long retired from the PGA Tour, Couples has since joined and dominated the Senior PGA Tour circuit with 2010, 2012 and 2013 wins of the Byron Nelson Award for the best average score. Apart from spending time on the Senior Tour and serving as spokesman for Antabloc, Boom Boom has made much of his wealth after his retirement and off the course. Partnering with Gene D. Bates, Couples has designed over 20 championship golf courses around the world, adding to both his wealth and professional legacy.
#6 – Phil Mickelson ($180 Million)
San Diego native Phil Mickelson has rightly earned his spot as one of the most successful golfers over the past 20 years. After going pro in 1992, the left-handed golfer has since won 51 tournaments with 42 wins on the PGA Tour, making him ninth all-time. Mickelson has also won a British Open, PGA Championship and an impressive three Masters Tournaments.
With a 2012 induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame, lefty Phil has an impressive career history, making him the second richest golfer of all time based solely on his career earnings. With little interests outside of golf like so many others on our list, Mickelson is one of the highest endorsed athletes and, in 2011, was named as the second highest grossing athlete in the world. Not too bad for a man who simply loves to play golf!
#5 – Gary Player ($200 Million)
The second player on our list from South Africa, Gary Player has developed quite the reputation in the golf world and has earned himself the nickname as the “International Ambassador of Golf”. Standing at only 5’6”, height is only a small matter to “Mr. Fitness” who turned pro more than 60 years ago and has an astonishing 165 tournament wins, including nine majors.
With an incredible career, it’s no surprise that the 1974 Hall of Famer made quite a bit from his victories but, as the only leading money winner in 1961, Player looked elsewhere to build his fortune. Writing a multitude of best-selling instructional books, Player has his hands in everything from designing golf courses around the world to breeding race horses. It’s obvious that nearly everything this player touches turns to gold both on and off the greens.
#4 – Jack Nicklaus ($280 Million)
Often considered the greatest golfer of all time, it’s no surprise that Jack Nicklaus is near the top of our list. Easily a fan favorite and known as “The Golden Bear”, the 75 year old Ohio native enjoyed a successful career in professional golf for 54 years before announcing his retirement in 2005. With 115 professional wins, Nicklaus holds the record for the most major tournament wins at an astonishing 18, in addition to a career record of six Green Jacket wins at The Masters.
A professional record like his means that when Jack Nicklaus speaks, golfers listen. While Nicklaus made much of his fortune on the course, he’s made even more on screen thanks to his best-selling instructional golf videos. On top of his video fortune, Nicklaus also oversees the largest golf course design company in the world and, in Dublin, Ohio each year, the PGA stops for The Memorial Tournament, which is completely run by Nicklaus. From books and golf to course design and endorsements, you name it and Nicklaus has done it!
#3 – Greg Norman ($300 Million)
Hailing from Queensland, Australia, Greg Norman is the second Australian on our list who has taken the world of golf by storm. Notching 90 career wins in his professional career, including two British Opens, Norman is known for his close calls in all of the majors tournaments with second place finishes seven different times. Nicknamed “The Shark”, Norman even held the number one spot as the world’s top golfer for more than six consecutive years.
With an instantly marketable nickname, Norman had little trouble bringing in money especially after launching his own company known as Great White Shark Enterprises. As a keen businessman, Norman’s ventures were limitless off the course as he became involved in golf clothing, course design, real estate, wine, boating and even transporting beef. No, we aren’t kidding – just check out his autobiography, The Way of the Shark, if you don’t believe us!
#2 – Tiger Woods ($550 Million)
Whether you love him or hate him, it’s hard to deny that Tiger Woods is an incredible golfer. Turning pro in 1996 at just 20 years old, the now 39 year old pro literally made headlines with an astonishing 106 tournament wins, ranking only behind Nicklaus in terms of major wins. First reaching the number one spot as the world’s top golfer in 1997, Woods clenched the title for all but nine months of the first decade in the new millennium.
At the height of his fame, Woods was well on his way to topping this list as he became one of the highest paid athletes in the world with massive endorsements from companies like Nike and Gatorade. But, with a very public divorce from model Elin Nordegren, he lost quite a bit of his fortune as his endorsers pulled their funding. Since then, however, Woods has returned to the course and is slowly building back his fortune and his reputation, though it’s been a long seven years since we’ve seen him win a major.
#1 – Arnold Palmer ($675 Million)
The richest professional in the history of golf is also regarded (and rightly so) as one of the best, Arnold Palmer. The Wake Forest graduate launched his professional career in 1954 and spent an astonishing 52 years on the course collecting 95 wins, including seven major titles. Earning four money leader tiles and two Player of the Year awards, Palmer even earned a Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year award in 1960.
Known also as one of golf’s greatest ambassadors, Palmer has opened several courses throughout his career and even helped launch The Golf Channel so that the sport he loves could be enjoyed anywhere, anytime. With even an airport named after him in his hometown of Latrobe, Pennsylvania, Palmer has earned much of his wealth in a rather surprising way: a drink. Thanks to his favorite mixed drink of iced tea and lemonade, Palmer has literally made millions in retail with his signature drink canned and on shelves around the world for everyone to enjoy.
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