Tiger Woods Net Worth: What Is It and How Did He Get There?

You don’t need to be a golf superfan to know the name Tiger Woods. The name is synonymous with sporting excellence and success, and Tiger Woods’ career earnings and net worth only secure him in the history books of sports royalty.

Between a golfing career spanning more than three decades and a lucrative portfolio of sponsors, endorsements, and other income generators, Tiger Woods has become an incredibly wealthy man, but what is Tiger Woods’ net worth, and how exactly did he make his money?

How much have Tiger Woods‘ winnings amassed over his many years of glory? What is Tiger Woods’ salary on average? Is the golfing legend really a billionaire?

Keep reading to find out more about the king of the World Golf Hall of Fame and one of the richest athletes ever.

Note:  I’ll do my best to update this content each year at the very least!

Tiger Woods

Tiger Woods is a legendary professional golfer and is widely considered the best of all time. Since he first swung a club as a mere toddler, it was clear he was destined for greatness. In the world of pro golfing, with great ability comes great wealth- and Tiger Woods beats them all in both.

Woods is not only one of the greatest golfers of all time, but he is also one of the highest-paid sports stars in history. Alongside LeBron James, he is the only active US billionaire in sports today.

Let’s take a closer look at Tiger Woods’ net worth, where his money came from, and how his illustrious career played a role in making him the highest-paid golfer of all time.

What Is Tiger Woods’ Net Worth?

As of 2023, Tiger Woods is reportedly worth $1.1 billion and has an estimated total career revenue of $1.7 billion to date. Of that, less than 10% comes from the golf course. Competition winnings, endorsement deals, and other sources of income account for the bulk of his worth.

In 2022 alone, Woods reportedly earned $68 million without swinging a single club. He also earned around $15 million through actually playing golf, although his usual annual golfing income in recent years has been significantly lower.

Tiger Woods Net Worth 2023 Broken Down: How Much Is Tiger Woods Worth and Why?

Tiger Woods is golf’s first billionaire, but it took more than a gifted swing to get there. As well as dominating for many years on the court, he has also made many lucrative business connections during his time, thanks to his star power and undeniable appeal to the fans.

Here is a breakdown of how the legend became a billionaire and secured his current net worth of $1.1 billion.

Earnings On the Golf Course and Tournament Winnings

Of all the big earners on the PGA Tour, Tiger Woods is the highest by quite a distance. He has earned close to $121 million so far, compared to second-place earner Phil Mickelson with just under $95 million. This is a conservative figure, as an estimated further $40 million or so has also been paid to Woods by PGA in unofficial winnings and earnings.

On average, Woods takes home between $50 million and $60 million annually in tournament earnings, although this figure has dropped significantly in recent years.

2008 and 2009 were Tiger’s highest-earning years as far as playing golf goes, leaving the course with over $100 million in revenue in both years (2008 was closer to $110 million). The figure has been dropping since 2014, but he has made up his income elsewhere.

One of the ways he has boosted golf course earnings without winning any major tournaments is by participating in the PGA Tour’s Player Impact Program. Despite only paying nine rounds of golf in the program in 2022, he earned $15 million for his involvement.

Endorsement Deals

Due to his status as a household name and global sports superstar, many well-known brands have partnered with Woods through sponsorship deals and endorsements. Over the years, there have been many deals come and go that have earned him hundreds of millions of dollars.

Recently, it is estimated that Tiger Woods earns around $50 million annually through his various current endorsement deals.

Here are some notable brands that are either currently partnered with Tiger Woods or have been in the past.

Nike

Tiger’s best-known endorsement is Nike. The global sportswear brand has worked with Woods since the very beginning of his professional career, first signing him in 1996 in a five-year deal worth $40 million. It was then extended for another five years, but this time for $100 million, thanks to his growing fame and success.

Over the next eight years, Tiger Woods earned between $20 million and $40 million annually through his endorsements with Nike alone. Woods is still in partnership with Nike, but the details of his contract and yearly earnings are now kept private.

Rolex

Another big brand associated with Tiger Woods to the tune of $7 million is Rolex. The five-year contract was signed just after his previous endorsement deal with rival luxury watch brand Tag Heuer expired.

Hero MotoCorp

Indian company Hero MotoCorp signed a four-year endorsement with Tiger Woods in 2014. The original deal was worth $36 million and was extended further in 2018.

Gillette

When Gillette ran its Gillette Champions campaign, it signed endorsements with several big names in sports at the time, including Thierry Henry, Rodger Federer, and- of course- Tiger Woods. Each one reportedly earned $5 million for every year the campaign ran.

Gatorade

One of the biggest endorsements Woods has ever had was his deal with Gatorade. The sports drink company released a product called Gatorade Tiger, which earned Woods a whopping $100 million over five years- just for using his name.

When the controversy surrounding Woods’ divorce came out, Gatorade ended its partnership with the golf legend – as did several other major sponsors at the time.

Monster Energy

Since being dropped by Gatorade, which is partially owned by Pepsi, Woods has secured sponsorship deals with Monster Energy, which is partially owned by Coca-Cola.

Golf Course Design Business

Tiger Woods started a business called TGR Design, which designs golf courses. It has been successful so far, with the company having designed 10 courses- the first of which opened in 2020.

One of the most successful courses designed by TGR Design is Bluejack National (the company’s first in the US). It alone has earned Woods more than $10 million.

Other Sources of Income

Sometimes, all Tiger has to do to make money is show up. In fact, an appearance by Tiger Woods at a tournament or event can reportedly cost up to $1.5 million.

A Look Back at Tiger Woods’ Career: Milestones and Memorable Moments

The many moments in Tiger Woods’ long career that proved his excellence have contributed to the immense net worth the golf star has amassed today.

Although only a small percentage of his earnings come from time on the golf course, everything ties back to his status and reputation as one of the finest athletes in modern history.

It is because of his prowess on the course that his many high-paying endorsements and side projects became possible. Since Woods turned professional, he has earned an incredible amount of money- a fear that would not have been possible without his skill, determination, and star power.

Early Career

To better understand how Tiger Woods has made so much money throughout his career, we take a look at the early days of his career before he turned pro.

Although he wasn’t making big bucks back then, he was laying the groundwork for what would quickly become a ground-breaking (and record-breaking) legacy.

When Did Tiger Woods Start Golfing?

It is not all that surprising to hear that Tiger Woods started golfing at an incredibly young age. He was just two years old when his father, Earl Woods, got him into the sport.

Despite dreams of becoming a baseball player like his dad, an early injury sent him in a different direction, and his natural talent for golf became evident very quickly.

Winning the Junior World Golf Championships

Woods didn’t waste much time in establishing that he was going places and was going to become a leading golf world player.

By 11 years old, he reached an ability level that allowed him to win six Junior World Golf Championships- four of them in consecutive years.

The Youngest US Junior Amateur Champion

In 1991, Tiger Woods became the youngest-ever winner of the US Junior Amateur Championship- before going on to win it for the next two years in a row.

He was the first person to ever be a three-time winner of the championship and remained the youngest winner in history until 2010.

Around the same time, he was named the Southern California Amateur Player of the Year.

Before turning professional, Woods won several accolades and titles during his time at Stanford University, where he studied on a golf scholarship. These included Stanford’s Male Freshman of the Year and winner of the NCAA Individual Golf Championship.

First PGA Tour Event and First Major

The first PGA Tour event Woods took part in was in 1992 at the age of 16. As a PGA Tour rookie, he placed second two years running.

When he was 19, he competed in his first major, albeit as an amateur. He finished in joint 41st place, which was commendable considering he was the only non-professional on the course.

Professional Career

Tiger Woods has earned a huge amount of money throughout his career- more than any other golfer. Why? Because he is unlike any other golfer there has ever been.

The immense success of Woods financially is directly tied to his undeniable status as a golfing legend who was at the pinnacle of the sport for many years.

His professional golf career has changed the sport forever and led the way for new golfers to grow their net worth in a similar way.

Turning Professional with a Bang

1996 was the first year that Tiger Woods appeared as a professional golfer- and what a first year it was. He won the Masters in early 1997 at the age of 21- the tournament’s youngest winner to date.

Woods was declared world number one later that year, marking another early record for the fastest-ever rise from amateur to world’s best.

A Decade-Long Hot Streak

From 1998 to 2008, Tiger Woods dominated the world of golf. Over the first five years, he led most of the tournaments he took part in, even as a fairly new face on the course.

In 1999, he became the first player in more than 20 years to win eight PGA titles in a single year. By 2000, he claimed nine out of 20 tournament wins in his PGA events- a record that still stands.

Other records set during this time are his lowest scoring average for the PGA tour, the largest ever winning gap in a major event at the 2000 US Open, and being the youngest golfer in history to win a Grand Slam. He was the world number one for a record time of 264 weeks.

2003 and 2004 saw a slight wobble, but not enough to keep Tiger down. From 2005 to 2007, he had his most lucrative on-course years until that point (2007 remains the highest on-course revenue for Woods to date), winning the Masters and back-to-back British Opens.

2008 was the first time an injury plagued Woods’ career, but it also paved the way for him to secure his legacy and remind people that he was the best. After two months out with a knee injury, Tiger fought his way to victory in the US Open Championship- securing his third Career Grand Slam (only one other golfer in history has achieved the same).

The Tiger Slam

Speaking of Grand Slams, prize money in major tournaments has certainly contributed to Tiger Woods’ net worth.

He is not only part of an elite club of two to win enough major tournaments to make up three Career Grand Slams (something most people dream of doing once!), but he even has a unique achievement named after him.

The Tiger Slam was the closest thing to a near-fabled Grand Slam in golf the sport had seen for seven decades.

Bobby Jones created the term Grand Slam in 1930 when he won all four major titles in the same year, but the Tiger Slam came when Woods won the four titles within 365 days- three in 2000 and the Masters in early 2001.

A Late Career Plagued by Injuries

Since 2014, Tiger Woods has been in and out of professional golf due to repeated injuries that have held him back from the winners’ column.

Between back surgery after back surgery and a car crash that caused significant damage to his leg, the way has been opened for other names to surpass Tiger Woods as the best on the course today.

He did, however, win the 2019 Masters Tournament- a record 14 years after his last major win.

Did You Know?  None other than high net worth Bubba Watson, a fellow golfer, bought Tigers old house!

Earnings Milestones Throughout Tiger Woods’ Career

As Woods’ career progressed, so did his net worth. Thanks to his incredible natural talent as an amateur, the only thing more meteoric than his rise to fame was the increase in his earnings, as he ticked off milestone by milestone in just a matter of years.

In his first year as a professional golfer alone, Woods earned close to half a million dollars, becoming a millionaire just a little later at the tender age of 21.

From there, the only way was up (apart from during the turbulent years surrounding his public and

Here are some of the most notable earnings milestones and when Tiger Woods hit them according to data taken from Golf Digest.

• He became a millionaire sometime in his first year in professional golf.
• By 1998, the figure had risen to $10 million.
• Woods hit the $50 million milestone in 2001.
• Two years later, he doubled his millions to reach $100 million.
• His net worth reached half a billion in 2009 but dipped back to a measly $400 million following his divorce settlement with his wife, Elin Nordegren in 2010.
• The figure increased to three-quarters of a billion dollars by 2017.
• Forbes officially calls Tiger Woods a billionaire in 2022, estimating that he is worth at least $1 billion, but most likely more.

Next, let’s look at the breakdown of Tiger Woods’ net worth by estimated earnings per year for the most notable years.

• Woods earned a total of around $13 million in 1996 (his first year as a professional golfer). Just under $900,000 of it was earned on the course, and more than $12 million of it came off the course- predominantly through his initial Nike deal.
• By 1998, that figure had more than doubled, with almost $2.4 million of golf course earnings and $19.5 million off the course.
• He earned more than $80 million every year between 2003 and 2006. His golfing earnings ranged from $6.37 million to $11.99 million, while the additional earnings came in at $75-$87 million.
• 2007 saw Woods break $100 million in annual earnings and remains the highest recorded income in his career. The money he earned playing golf accounted for just under $23 million, and almost $100 million came from other income. Altogether, his net worth increased by around $122,700,000.
• 2008 was Tiger Woods’ most lucrative year for off-course earnings, with a total of more than $109 million. It wasn’t as good a year for his golfing. He earned a measly $7.7 million on the course.

From 2010 onwards, Woods’ predominant source of income was endorsements and other sources of income, with the exception of 2012 and 2013 when he earned $9 million and $12 million on the course, respectively.

In the later years of his golfing career until now (except his groundbreaking return to glory in 2019 and his high-paying Player Impact deal in 2022), Tiger Woods has earned significantly less through playing golf but has continued to generate millions through his other endeavors.

Tiger Woods in the Elite and Elusive Billionaire Athlete Club

Very few athletes have ever broken the $1 billion mark in their net worth, and even fewer have done it while still having an active career. In the US, only Tiger Woods and LeBron James have achieved the feat of reaching $1 billion while still participating in their sports. Michael Jordan is the other notable American athlete who has cracked the billion, but he did it after his career had ended.

There are some European and South American athletes who are reportedly worth more than $1 billion and are still at the top of their sports. Some names include tennis icon Rodger Federer, soccer superstar Cristiano Ronaldo (the highest-paid athlete in the world today), and his Argentinian rival Lionel Messi.

Tiger Woods is golf’s first-ever billionaire player. Dustin Johnson, Phil Mickelson, and Rory McIlroy are the three highest-earning golfers of the moment, but all have a long way to go to come close to the net worth of the one and only Tiger.

Summary

Tiger Woods is currently worth $1.1 billion and climbing. His incredible career on and off the golf course has earned him big bucks (more than 1.7 billion dollars, to be precise) and a place in the golf history books, going beyond the sport of golf to become a household name around the globe.

His mammoth worth is largely due to lucrative endorsement deals with some of the world’s biggest brands, and more than 20 years spent dominating his sport helped along the way.

He may no longer appear at the top of the Official World Golf Rankings after a series of injuries have plagued his recent career- but he will always be known as the first gold superstar to take the world by storm- and many of his achievements may never be replicated.