The game of golf has developed into a multi-billion dollar industry in recent years. It has been a lucrative sport for decades, with top golfers ripe for sponsorship deals and expensive contracts, but the Saudi involvement in the sport with the introduction of the LIV Golf Tour has only seen the sport’s top names get richer and richer.
Here, InSports has taken a look into the top 15 richest golfers in the sport’s history, with help from Play Today, to provide an overview of the calibre of names that are on the rich list. This comes after we also took a look at the highest-paid golfers of 2024, as per Forbes.
But, without further ado, let’s take a look at who makes the top 15, with an extensive look into the careers of the top 10.
15 richest golfers in history | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Position | Name | Nationality | Net worth |
15. | Nick Faldo | English | $60 million |
14. | Ian Poulter | English | $60 million |
13. | Sergio Garcia | Spanish | $70 million |
12. | Vijay Singh | Fijian | $75 million |
11. | Ernie Els | South African | $85 million |
10. | Dustin Johnson | American | $100 million |
9. | Jordan Spieth | American | $110 million |
8. | Fred Couples | American | $120 million |
7. | Rory McIlroy | Northern Irish | $170 million |
6. | Gary Player | South African | $250 million |
5. | Phil Mickelson | American | $300 million |
4. | Jack Nicklaus | American | $400 million |
3. | Greg Norman | Australian | $400 million |
2. | Arnold Palmer | American | $700 million |
1. | Tiger Woods | American | $1 billion |
10 Dustin Johnson
Net worth: $100 million
The first of several Americans on this list, Johnson has won two Major championships since starting his professional career back in 2007, including the US Open in 2016 and The Masters in 2020. Johnson now plays on the LIV Tour after establishing himself as one of the top players on the PGA Tour for several years.
9 Jordan Spieth
Net worth: $110 million
Dallas, Texas-native Spieth joined the PGA Tour in 2012 and quickly took the golf world by storm, winning three Major championships. The American became the second-youngest player to ever win The Masters when he claimed victory in 2015, aged just 22. Spieth’s 2015 was one of the all-time great golf seasons, as he won five tournaments, including The Masters and the US Open. Spieth also became the highest-paid golfer in the sport that year.
8 Fred Couples
Net worth: $120 million
One of the great players of the 1990s, Fred Couples won 62 Major championships during his career, including The Masters in 1992. That same year saw Couples become the top-ranked player in the world. Away from golf, Couples’ real estate ventures saw his wealth increase to $120 million
7 Rory McIlroy
Net worth: $170 million
Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is currently fourth in the world rankings, which only begins to tell the story of a remarkable career. McIlroy became the second-youngest-ever player to win the US Open when he clinched it at 22 years and 212 days in 2011. He has since gone on to win two PGA Championships, cementing himself as one of the world’s best golfers.
6 Gary Player
Net worth: $250 million
South African Gary Player is one of the sport’s greats, having become one of only five players to win all four modern Major tournaments, making him one of the world’s richest golfers and landing him a spot in the golf Hall of Fame.
5 Phil Mickelson
Net worth: $300 million
Mickelson has won six Major tournaments in his career, including three Masters titles and three Tour Championships. Mickelson is currently part of the LIV Golf Tour, a switch which has increased his wealth exponentially.
4 Jack Nicklaus
Net worth: $400 million
Nicklaus has won the most Major championships in the history of golf, with 18 to his name. He was also PGA Player of the Year five times between 1967 and 1976. Nicklaus has also helped to define the modern game by designing over 400 golf courses across the world via his company, Nicklaus Design.
3 Greg Norman
Net worth: $400 million
Australian Norman spent a whopping 331 weeks as the number 1 ranked player in the world during the 1980s and 1990s. Norman claimed The Open Championship twice, in 1986 and 1993 respectively. Norman is also a successful entrepreneur, most notably in real estate development. He is also the CEO of LIV Golf and is the face of the modern game.
2 Arnold Palmer
Net worth: $700 million
A member of golf’s “Big Three” along with Nicklaus and Player, Palmer became one of the richest players of the 1960s after winning the US Open in 1960. Palmer won 62 PGA titles across his career, including four Masters titles.
1 Tiger Woods
Net worth: $1 billion
One of the richest and most recognisable athletes in history, Woods is a sporting giant, having won 15 Major championships and 82 PGA Tour wins across his career. Woods has also been named PGA Player of the Year 11 times and is a member of the World Golf Hall of Fame.