The mention of golf spells luxury and symbolises prosperity. Naturally, in the world of sports, it forms the highest echelons in terms of the wealth associated with it. However, the game is more than mere showbiz with some of the richest golfers in the world ruling the roster; it is one of the most competitive sporting disciplines as well.
In order to stay on the golfing circuit for a long time, golfers need to train day in and day out to keep themselves in good shape around the year. Only the ones who are able to put in the work and perform well in professional rounds get to reap substantial dividends from the sport.
While the earnings from professional tournaments alone are enough for a golfer to lead a life of luxury, it is not the only form of privilege they get to enjoy. As is the case with most major sporting fields, the stars of the sport are chased by brands for sponsorship deals.
The most important thing about these endorsement deals and other investments made by the athletes is that they continue to mint money long after they have called it a day in their professional golfing careers. Keeping this in mind, it would be unfair to curate a list of the richest golfers without counting retired players, for that might fail to underline the significance of the lucrative sport.
So, on that note, we take a look at the richest male golfers in the world, including both active and former players.
Who are the richest male golfers in the world?
Tiger Woods
Net worth in 2023: USD 1.1 billion
Widely considered as one of the greatest golfers of all time, Tiger Woods is a legend in his own right. The American professional golfer, is tied for the top spot with Sam Snead in terms of the most Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) Tour wins (82 wins). Woods has 110 wins in his professional career and has been at the summit of the Official World Golf Rankings for a staggering 683 weeks.
A five-time Masters Tournament winner (in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2019), a four-time PGA Championship winner (in 1999, 2000, 2006 and 2007), and the winner of the US Golf Open (in 2000, 2002 and 2008) and The Open Championship (in 2000, 2005 and 2006), Woods holds numerous golfing records to his name.
According to a 2023 report by Forbes, Woods enjoys a net worth of USD 1.1 billion. He is one of the most prominent athletes in the world and holds the distinction of being the only active athlete after LeBron James to be a billionaire. Woods has earned around USD 1.8 billion in prize money throughout his career in professional golf. He also holds the PGA Tour record of winning USD 121 million in prize money. Woods was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2021.
Greg Norman
Net worth in 2023: USD 420 million
One of the most celebrated athlete-turned-entrepreneurs ever, Greg Norman is a former Australian golfer, who has won as many as 88 professional tournaments in his career. He spent around 331 weeks sitting at the top of the Official World Golf Rankings. A winner of The Open Championship on two occasions (in 1986 and 1993), Norman was nicknamed ‘The Shark’ by the fans and experts back in his playing days.
Post his retirement from professional golf, Norman became an entrepreneur. He is the chairman and CEO of the Greg Norman Company, a multinational corporation with a wide range of companies in fields such as apparel, interior design, real estate, wine production, private equity and golf course design. He is also the CEO of LIV Golf Investments, a company financed by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund.
According to a 2023 report by CAknowledge, Norman has a net worth of around USD 420 million. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2001.
Phil Mickelson
Net worth in 2023: USD 410 million
Often named among the most successful golfers of all time, Phil Mickelson is an American professional golfer who, at present, competes in the LIV Golf League. He has 45 PGA Tour event wins in his bag, which includes six major championships― three wins at the Masters Tournament (in 2004, 2006 and 2010), two PGA Championship titles (in 2005 and 2021) and a solitary win at The Open Championship in 2013.
Notably, at the 2021 PGA Championship, Mickelson became the oldest major championship winner in the history of golf at the age of 50 years, 11 months and seven days. According to multiple reports, Mickelson, in 2023, has a net worth of around USD 410 million and ranks among the richest male golfers in the world. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2012.
Jack Nicklaus
Net worth in 2023: USD 400 million
Popularly known as ‘The Golden Bear’, Jack Nicklaus is a former American golfer and a golf designer. Nicklaus is often regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time. He won 117 professional golfing tournaments in his career, including a record 18 major championships (Tiger Woods ranks second with 15 major championships to his name).
Jack Nicklaus took part in 164 major tournaments, the most by any golfer in history. He trails Sam Snead and Tiger Woods in the list of most PGA Tour victories (Nicklaus enjoys 73 PGA Tour wins).
Even almost two decades after his retirement, Nicklaus ranks among the richest male golfers in the world with a net worth of USD 400 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974.
Gary Player
Net worth in 2023: USD 255 million
Regarded as one of the finest golfers of all time, Gary Player is a retired South African professional golfer, who became the first non-American to win all four major championships in his career in 1965. He won over 150 professional golf tournaments on six continents over seven decades.
Nicknamed ‘The Black Knight’ and ‘Mr. Fitness’, Player also made a name for himself as an able golf course architect. He has designed over 400 projects across five continents. The South African has also authored 36 books on golf instruction, design, philosophy, motivation and fitness.
According to reports, Gary Player has a net worth of around USD 255 million. The legendary golfer was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1974 and received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 2021.
Rory McIlroy
Net worth in 2023: USD 220 million
One of the most gifted players in the history of golf and a modern-day legend, Rory McIlroy is a former world number one, who has spent over 100 weeks in that position. He has won four major titles so far in his career, with his last victory coming at the PGA Championship in 2014. Hailing from Northern Ireland, he is one of the three players alongside Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods to win four major titles by the age of 25.
McIlroy has a total of 37 wins in his professional career, including 24 wins on the PGA Tour. For his excellence in golf, he was appointed Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2012.
According to multiple sources, Rory McIlroy, in 2023, enjoys a net worth of an estimated USD 220 million. Reports suggest that the Northern Irish golfer has around USD 125 million in terms of career earnings, placing him among the ranks of the richest male golfers in the world.
Fred Couples
Net worth in 2023: USD 125 million
A former participant on the PGA Tour and the PGA Tour Champions, Fred Couples is an American golfer, who now takes part in the Senior Players Championship. A former world number one golfer, Couples has won 64 professional tournaments, notable of which are his triumphs at the Masters Tournament in 1992 and the Players Championship in 1984 and 1996. The American became the oldest golfer in April 2023 to make the cut in the history of the Masters Tournament at the age of 63 years, six months and five days.
He won his first senior major at the Senior Players Championship in August 2011 and followed it up with a win at the Senior Open Championship in July 2012. He earned his nickname of ‘Boom Boom’ for his long, accurate driving ability of the tee. According to reports, Fred Couples has a net worth of around USD 125 million, as of 2023. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2013.
Jordan Spieth
Net worth in 2023: USD 120 million
A former world number one, Jordan Spieth is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He has 16 professional wins to his name, including 13 wins on the PGA Tour and three on the European Tour. Spieth has won three major tournaments to date, namely the Masters Tournament in 2015, the US Golf Open in 2015 and The Open Championship in 2017. He also won the FedEx Cup in 2015.
According to reports, Spieth, in 2023, has a net worth of around USD 120 million. The American golfer enjoys endorsement deals with major corporations such as Under Armour, Rolex, AT&T, NetJets, Titleist and SuperStroke, among others.
Ernie Els
Net worth in 2023: USD 95 million
A former world number one on the Official World Golf Rankings, Ernie Els is a South African professional golfer He has over 70 wins in his career, including four major championships― the US Gold Open in 1994 and 1997, and The Open Championship in 2002 and 2012. Nicknamed ‘The Big Easy’ because of his physical stature and fluid golf swing, Els is one of the six golfers to win the US Golf Open and The Open Championship twice each.
At present, Els competes in the PGA Tour Champions. He also has a golf course design business, a charitable foundation that supports golf among underprivileged children in South Africa, and a winemaking business. According to various reports, Els, in 2023, has an estimated net worth of USD 95 million. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011.
Vijay Singh
Net worth in 2023: USD 75 million
Capping off the list of the richest male golfers in the world is Vijay Singh, a Fijian golfer of Indian origin. Nicknamed ‘The Big Fijian’, he has had the privilege of defeating Tiger Woods in his prime. Singh comes from a very humble background― in his childhood, he was unable to afford golf balls. The Fijian has 34 event wins on the PGA Tour, the most by a non-American golfer. He has also spent around 32 weeks at the summit of the Official World Golf Rankings.
Now competing in senior golf, Singh won his first senior event at the Bass Pro Shop Legends of Golf tournament alongside Paraguayan golfer Carlos Franco. In 2023, he made it to the top 10 for the first time in the Senior Open Championship.
Reports suggest, Singh, in 2023, has a net worth of around USD 75 million. During his time in professional golf, he earned a whopping USD 68 million on the PGA Tour; so it comes as no surprise that he ranks among the richest male golfers in the world.
(Main Image Credits: Main Image Credits: Courtesy Instagram/@Tiger Woods and Instagram/@RORY; Featured Image Credits Courtesy Instagram/@Tiger Woods)
This story first appeared on Augustman Hong Kong.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
– Who is the richest golfer in the world?
Tiger Woods is the richest golfer in the world, as of 2023.
– Which golfer has the highest net worth?
Tiger Woods has the highest net worth (USD 1.1 billion, as of October 2023).
