These Are The Five Highest-Paid Golfers In The World

By on August 16, 2018 in ArticlesCelebrity News

This weekend is the 100th PGA Championship, with a total of $10.5 million in purse money up for grabs (the winner gets a little under $1.9 million). But even in golf, it's not all about the prize money, and the top earners in the sport get to that point through a combination of on-the-course winnings and lucrative endorsement deals. Here are the top five of those earners, with a breakdown of how much of their annual take-home last year came from prize winnings vs how much came from endorsements and other sponsorship contracts.

5. Justin Thomas: $26 Million

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Justin Thomas made most of his $26 million last year on the course, with the exception of $5 million from endorsements. You'll find that's the reverse of how the other players on this list made their money.

4. Rory McIlroy: $37.7 Million

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As you can see, Rory McIlroy came close to flipping Justin Thomas' ratio almost exactly. He made just $3.7 million in prize winnings last year, while the remaining $34 million came from his robust endorsement schedule.

3. Jordan Spieth: $41.2 Million 

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Jordan Spieth did a little better in the prize winnings department, taking in $11.2 million in prize money over the course of last year. But the rest of his earnings came from $30 million worth of endorsement deals.

2. Phil Mickelson: $41.3 Million

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Phil Mickelson just barely edges out Jordan Spieth here, but his $4.3 million in prize earnings is dwarfed by his $37 million worth of endorsements last year.

1. Tiger Woods: $43.3 Million

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No surprise here: The highest paid golfer in the world right now continues to be Tiger Woods, despite his only having won $1.3 million in prize money last year. The rest comes from endorsements, and former Bridgestone Golf (one of the many brands Tiger endorses) CEO summed up the situation in a 2017 interview on CNBC, providing Tiger with the backhanded compliment that he "actually has more power as an endorser than he does as a player."

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