Richest Golfers in the World: Full List
Golf is one of many people’s favorite sports. It requires precision, accuracy, and strength.
Many golfers have gained fame and popularity. You may admire them because of their personality, skill, or a combination of both.
Golf, like any other sport, allows athletes to compete for prizes and display their skills. Therefore, throughout history, many golfers have built their wealth due to their wins and work.
Names such as Tiger Woods, Gary Player, and Jack Nicklaus will ring a bell if you’re a golf fan. However, you may not know who’s the richest golfer of them all, so a list with some information about their careers and net worth could be of help.
How Professional Golfers Earn Money
Before knowing who are the richest golfers out there, you should understand how a professional golfer earns money in the first place.
The richest golfer in the world has an estimated net worth of millions of dollars, and he’s earned his money due to different income sources. Therefore, take a look at the various ways in which golfers can make money.
Professional Pay
When a golfer becomes a professional, they get paid depending on their level and skill. Consequently, the better they play, the more money they get.
Brand Sponsorships and Endorsement Deals
If an athlete gains fame, they can earn money by working with famous brands. It’s the case for the richest golfer in the world, and it’s also very common among other sports players.
Courses and Entrepreneurship
Many of the richest golfers in the world have used part of their wealth and invested it. Therefore, they’re now business owners, and some of them offer golf courses or have branched out to entirely different industries, such as wine production or real estate.
Prize Money
Players can also compete in famous tournaments, which offer money as a prize. All the richest golfers on the list have professionally won in different instances, and it has allowed them to build or increase their wealth.
The Richest Golfers List
The richest golfers worldwide have accumulated wealth throughout their athletic careers. Some of them have earned most of their money due to tournament prizes, while others have invested part of it to start companies or develop golf courses.
Nowadays, there are a few famous players that have been at the top of the richest golfers list since many years ago because they first rose to fame during the 60s and 70s.
Gary Player, for example, was born in 1935, and won nine major championship tours. He’s still considered one of the best golfers of all time and he’s one of the richest golfers in the world, even though he’s retired.
Therefore, they are such important athletes that they continue to be influential now, and people will always remember their trajectory due to what they did.
The following list includes some of the richest golfers in the world along with some of the things they did to earn their wealth and build their careers.
Tiger Woods
Eldrick Tont Woods, also known as Tiger Woods, was born on December 30, 1975, in California. He turned professional at the age of 20 in 1996, and by 1997, he’d won three events in the PGA Tour along with his first major.
Tiger Woods has had his ups and downs throughout his career, and he’s been number one in the Official World Golf Ranking but also dropped down to the 50s.
His issues have included taking several self-imposed hiatuses from playing due to injuries or personal problems. Even so, he is an inductee of the World Golf Hall of Fame and one of the most influential athletes in modern history.
He’s probably the most famous golfer in the world, and he’s also one of the richest ones. Tiger Woods has won numerous major championships, including 80 PGA Tours.
Almost 20% of his net worth is sponsorships and endorsement deals because he’s very famous, especially in social media. Unfortunately, in 2021, he had an accident that caused several injuries in his leg and ankle.
After the accident, Woods said that his career as a professional golfer was over but that he’d continue to play from time to time. He returned to the scene in 2022 for the Masters’ Tour.
Net worth: $800 million
Arnold Palmer
He’s an American professional athlete and one of the best and richest golfers ever. Arnold Palmer has gained fame because he’s a humble person, so he’s many people’s favorite.
Furthermore, he runs a company, Arnold Palmer Enterprises, and deals with spokesman associations, endorsements, licensing, and commercial partnerships.
Palmer has also gained fame due to his charisma. He earned the nickname “The King” due to his numerous wins, and in the 60s, he was one of “The Big Three,” a title that also included Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player. They were the ones to make golf popular around the world, and during those years, they were the richest golfers and the most famous ones.
Overall, Arnold Palmer is still one of the richest golfers in the world, and he’s also the athlete that many aspire to be.
Net worth: $700 million
Greg Norman
He’s a businessperson and a well-known former Australian golfer. Between the years 1986 and 1993, he won two of the Open championships.
Plus, the former Australian golfer won over 20 PGA Tours, and overall, more than 91 international championships. Greg Norman also established his own clothing line and golf course design company, and he also got into the wine production industry. His company is called Great White Shark Enterprises.
In the 80s and 90s, Greg spent 311 weeks as the world’s number-one golfer. Throughout his career, he has won over $1 million in the US PGA Tour alone, and even though he doesn’t play anymore, he runs his business and is still a major star in the industry.
Net worth: $500 million
Phil Mickelson
People know him as “Lefty,” and he’s one of the richest golfers in the world as well. Phil Mickelson became a professional golfer in 1992, and in America, he’s been the most well-off player.
The Official World Golf Rankings put him in second place several times. Lastly, he was included in the World Golf Hall of Fame as well.
Net worth: $400 million
Jack Nicklaus
His fans call him the Golden Bear, and he’s won 18 major championships in total. He was born on 21 January 1940, and has 73 PGA Tour wins.
Jack Nicklaus earned his place in the World Golf Hall of Fame too, in 1974. He’s written several books and designed numerous golf courses, and he also hosts the Memorial Tournament in his own club, the Muirfield Village, in Ohio.
During his career as a professional golfer, the PGA recognized him as the Player of the Year five times.
Estimated net worth: $320 million
Gary Player
He’s a retired South African professional golfer, and the audience and other professionals consider him to be one of the best players ever.
Gary Player began golfing at 14 years old, and three years later, he was already a professional. In addition, he has won nine major championships on the regular tour and nine major Championship Tours.
The South African professional golfer is one of the richest golfers in the world and has been an international ambassador for years. Lastly, he owns a golf course design company, a real estate business, and a foundation, through which he provides education for underprivileged kids across the globe.
Net worth: $255 million
Rory Mcilroy
He’s rated among the richest golfers in the world and was born on May 4, 1989. Rory Mcilroy became a professional in 2007, and ever since, he has won the PGA Tour 13 times, including four major championships.
Mcilroy won the European tour 13 times as well, and since 2013, he has been working with Nike, receiving around $20 to $30 million per year.
People call him the Irishman, and he replaced Tiger Woods as the face of the PGA tour videogame by EA Sports too.
Net worth: $220 million
Fred Couples
Frederick Steven Couples is an American professional golfer with an estimated net worth of 125 million dollars. He was born in 1959 and has played in different competitions, including the PGA tour and the PGA tour championship.
A few years ago, Fred used to be number one when it came to the richest golfers in the world. With 64 golf tournament wins, he’s in the World Golf Hall of Fame too.
Net worth: $125 million
Jordan Spieth
Spieth has been winning important tournaments since he was only 25 years old. He was born in 1993 and comes from a family of athletes.
Jordan Spieth is an American professional golfer who has earned three major championships, and his prize money comes from a combination of impressive wins.
He’s famous for working with different well-known brands, including Coca-Cola, Wheaties, and Rolex. Spieth was among the highest-paid athletes in 2018, and he’s still one of the richest golfers in the world right now.
Estimated net worth: $110 million
Ernie Els
He was born in 1969 and is another South African professional golfer. Els also goes by the name “The Big Easy” because of his six-feet-three-inches-tall stature.
With a long list of victories and wealth earned through prize money, his career has been impressive. Els has won the European tour 28 times and the PGA tour nine times, so he topped the order of merit list in 2003 and 2004.
He won four major championships and overall has taken home 65 tournament wins. In 2011, he earned his spot in the World Golf Hall of Fame.
Ernie Els won the US Open Championship and the Open Championship twice, and he’s one of the six golfers who’s ever done it. When he’s not playing, he’s running a golf course design business and a foundation that supports golf for underprivileged kids in South Africa.
Net worth: $85 million
Sergio Garcia
He was born in Borriol, Spain, on January 9, 1980. Sergio’s father closely taught him golf, so his love for it began at three years old.
Garcia won his first-ever club championship when he was 12, and he turned professional seven years later.
He’s won 36 tournaments, and 11 of them have been PGA tour wins. He has played on the European tour as well.
Net worth: $70 million
Ian Poulter
He was born in Hitchin, in the United Kingdom, on January 10, 1976. Poulter started playing golf because his father taught him, and he began at the age of four.
Ian became a professional 16 years later after showing that he was clearly skilled. Three years later, he won his first tournament on the European tour.
As of today, he has won 17 times, three of which have been on the PGA tour. His monthly income surpasses $500,000, and he has a net worth of around 60 million dollars.
Net worth: $60 million
Vijay Singh
Growing up, Singh was not as fortunate as other golfers in the world. He couldn’t afford golf balls, but he was very creative.
Vijay Singh was born in Fiji on February 22, 1963, and he used to use coconuts to make his own golf balls. He was obsessed with the sport from a very early age and has become one of the best and richest golfers of all time.
With a total of 64 wins, he’s earned his spot among the top earners. On the PGA tour alone, he’s won 34 times.
People love Singh because he is an example of dedication, creativity, perseverance, and humility. He has shown others that anyone can play, regardless of where they are or what they do to achieve their goal.
Estimated net worth: $60 million
Nick Faldo
Faldo is also a British professional golfer. He picked up his first club when he was 14 years old, and ever since, he’s only gained fame and respect from other golfers.
Nick Faldo has said he used to watch Jack Nicklaus performing in the Masters’ tournament in 1971. Five years later, at the age of 19, he became a pro in the sport.
Faldo has won the PGA tour nine times and has amassed 43 professional wins in total. His net worth puts him on the list of the richest golfers in the world, along with other great players.
Net worth: $60 million
Adam Scott
He’s an Australian golfer, and he was born on July 16, 1980. When he was at the Kooralbyn International School, he took the sport as an additional subject, and he’s loved it ever since.
Scott noticed that he was talented, and it was evident that he was much better than many of his peers. Therefore, at the age of 20, he became a professional, and now, he’s one of the world’s richest golfers.
The Australian golfer has won 31 times throughout his career, including 14 PGA tour wins. Lastly, in 2014, he was the number one-ranked golfer from May to August.
Net worth: $50 million
Cameron Smith
Smith is also an Australian professional golfer and was born on August 18, 1993. In 2022, he won the Open Championship, and even though he’s one of the youngest players out there, he won five other tournaments in the PGA tour too.
The Australian player has been crushing the golf course, and in 2022 alone, he took home several PGA victories. Cameron Smith has earned people’s recognition, and he has a net worth of around 50 million dollars due to the tournament wins he had in 2022.
Net worth: $50 million
Dustin Johnson
Also known as DJ, he was born in Columbia, South Carolina, on June 22, 1984. Johnson has proved his skill on the PGA tour because he’s consistently good, especially when it comes to his wedge game.
He has won two major championship tours and was a member of the PGA tour until 2014. Then, he resigned to join LIV.
DJ joined Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods as the third golfer to win a Tour title in each of his first 13 seasons, by virtue of winning the 2020 Travelers Championship.
In addition, Dustin held the number-one spot in the Official World Golf Rankings in 2020, and he did so for over 20 weeks.
Estimated net worth: $50 million
Darren Clarke
Clarke is one of the richest golfers too, and he began his famous career when he was in college – he was a junior member of the Dungannon Golf Club.
In 1990, he became a professional golfer, playing his first full season on the European tour. Currently, he has amassed more than 27 professional wins, and three of them are from the PGA tour.
Darren Clarke is from Northern Ireland, and he has won some of the most famous golf championships worldwide, including the Japan tour and the Sunshine tour. Even though he’s not the richest golfer, he defeated Tiger Woods in the 2000 WGC-Andersen Consulting Match Play Championship.
Net worth: $30 million
Bubba Watson
Gerry Lester, also known as Bubba, is an American professional golfer who was born in Bagdad, Florida, on November 5, 1978. He has 12 PGA tour wins, two major championships, and an estimated net worth of 30 million dollars.
Watson is one of the few left-hand tour golfers, and he has consistently been among the longest drivers. He started loving golf when he was in high school and played after future PGA tour members Boo Weekley and Health Scolum.
Bubba Watson began his professional golfing career in 2002, joining the Nationwide Tour. In prizes alone, he’s earned over 45 million dollars. Currently, he has 14 professional wins.
Net worth: $30 million
Henrik Stenson
Born in Sweden on April 5, 1976, Henrik Stenson is the first Nordic major champion, and he’s one of the richest golfers as well.
He won the Golfer of the Year award twice, in 2013 and 2016, due to his performance on the European tour. In addition, he has gained prestigious tournaments worldwide, including the World Cup, the Tour Championship, and the South African Open.
In 2013, won the European Tour’s Race to Dubai, and the FedEx Cup from the PGA Tour, becoming the first male to win both and to also win the season finales for the two tournaments as well.
Stenson is a five-time Ryder Cup player, which he won three times. Overall, he has 22 professional wins, and six of those are from the PGA Tour.
Net worth: $25 million
Viktor Hovland
Hovland is also from a Nordic country, but unlike Stenson, he was born in Norway, on September 18, 1997.
His golf career began when he started playing at Oklahoma State University, quickly becoming the winner of the Norwegian Amateur Golf Championship in 2014.
Currently, he has amassed six professional wins, three of which are from the PGA Tour.
John Daly
He’s an American professional golfer and was born on April 28, 1966. Daly’s nickname is “The Wild Thing” and “Long John,” primarily because of his playing, the controversial incidents he’s had in his personal life, and his non-country-club outfits.
John Daly has won pro events in many countries, including Canada, Swaziland, Scotland, South Korea, Turkey, and Germany.
He has a net worth of 2 million dollars, and in 1997, he became the first player to average more than 300 yards throughout the whole season.
Even though Daly has had an impactful career on the golf course, the issues he’s had in his personal life have made him underperform sometimes, which is why some people say he’s an unstable player.
The problems he faced did not let him perform as well as he could, and ever since that happened, Daly swore he’d regain his health and play again, and he has done it.
Net worth: $2 million
Frequently Asked Questions
Who’s the Richest Golfer in the World?
Tiger Woods is the richest golfer in the world, with a net worth of 800 million dollars. He has earned most of his wealth due to his skill on the golf course, sponsorships, and other deals.
Who’s the Highest-paid Golfer of All Time?
The highest-paid golf player of all time is Tiger Woods as well, who earned both this title and the one for the richest golfer. However, he’s earned a lot of his wealth due to deals with famous brands, such as Monster Energy.
Who’s the Richest Golfer in the US?
Tiger Woods is also currently the richest golfer in the United States.
What Golfer Is a Billionaire?
According to Forbes’ estimate, Tiger Woods is a billionaire.
What Golfer Is in the World Golf Hall of Fame?
Phil Mickelson, Jack Nicklaus, Fred Couples, and Ernie Els are all in the Hall of Fame.
What Famous Professional Golfer Is South African?
A few famous professional golfers are South African, but the most notable one is probably Gary Player.
What Is Tiger Woods’ Net Worth?
His net worth is $800 million.
Final Thoughts
When someone is a professional golfer, they can earn money through different income sources. The richest players in the world have built their wealth in years, and nowadays, they’re famous due to their trajectory and skill.
Now that you know who they are, you’ll remember this list whenever you watch a match and understand how their achievements helped them earn their respective spots.
