Miles Bennett
Golf is a lucrative sport, with many professionals earning millions of dollars in prize money, endorsements, and business ventures. While the sport has created numerous wealthy athletes, only a handful have risen to the top as the richest golfers in the world. This introduction will explore the golfers with the highest net worth, their career earnings, and the factors contributing to their financial success. By examining the financial landscape of golf, we can gain insights into the economic opportunities within this prestigious sport.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Richest golfer | Tiger Woods |
| Richest golfer after Tiger Woods | Maverick McNealy |
| Net worth of Maverick McNealy | $7 billion, £800m or $1.1 billion |
| Net worth of Rory McIlroy | $192.7 million, $170 million or £134.4m |
| Net worth of Scottie Scheffler | $126.3 million |
| Number of golfers who have earned $10 million or more in PGA Tour careers without winning a tour event | 22 |
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What You'll Learn
Rory McIlroy's career earnings
Rory McIlroy is currently the highest-paid golfer in history, with career earnings of $192.7 million and counting. He surpassed Tiger Woods, who held the previous record with career earnings of $185.7 million.
McIlroy's earnings received a significant boost in 2025 when he won his first Masters championship, becoming just the sixth golfer to win the career grand slam. The victory earned him $4.2 million, which was actually less than the $4.5 million he won at The Players Championship in March. McIlroy has also won five major titles and five Ryder Cups, and has spent over 100 weeks ranked No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings.
Born in Holywood, Ireland, McIlroy was a golf prodigy from a young age, appearing on the Irish talk show Kelly in 1999 at the age of nine after winning the U10 World Championship. He turned pro in 2007 at 18 and has since established himself as one of the most popular players on the PGA Tour.
In addition to his impressive career earnings, McIlroy is also known for his charitable donations. For example, he has helped to build a children's center in his hometown of Belfast.
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Tiger Woods' earnings from championships
Tiger Woods is widely regarded as one of the greatest golfers of all time, and his career earnings reflect that. In 1996, Woods earned $790,594. As of 2025, Woods has earned $185.7 million in his career, including $28.2 million from his 15 major championship wins. In fact, Woods has amassed the most career earnings of any player in PGA Tour history, with a record $121 million in prize money.
Woods has won 82 official PGA Tour events, tied with Sam Snead, and has won 15 majors, second only to Jack Nicklaus' 18. Woods is the only player to have won all four professional major championships in a row, during the 2000-2001 seasons, an achievement known as the "Tiger Slam". He is also the only player to win the PGA Championship back-to-back on two separate occasions: 1999-2000 and 2006-2007.
Woods' success in championships has translated into substantial earnings. In 2022, Forbes recognised him as a billionaire, making him only the second active athlete ever to achieve this distinction. Woods' total career earnings are estimated at $1.8 billion pretax, with his golfing success providing a platform for investments in various ventures, including real estate and golf-related businesses.
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Maverick McNealy's PGA Tour victory
As of 2025, Rory McIlroy is the highest-paid golfer in history, with $192.7 million in career earnings, surpassing Tiger Woods, who has earned $185.7 million. Scottie Scheffler is also among the highest-paid golfers, with $126.3 million in career earnings.
Maverick McNealy earned his first PGA Tour victory in 2024. It was a long-awaited win, as McNealy had earned his PGA Tour card in 2019 but had endured a bumpy ride, including battling injuries that cut his seasons short. Before his victory, he had made $10.8 million in winnings across 140 starts without a win.
McNealy entered the final round of the RSM Classic on Sunday tied for the lead at -14, thanks to a career-best -8 (62) in the first round. Two birdies on the front nine helped him maintain a one-shot lead at the turn, but he faced a challenging stretch on the back nine and was down one through 16. However, as both leaders in front of him made bogeys on 18, McNealy found himself back in a share of the lead with one hole to play. With one of the best six irons of his life and a short birdie putt, he finally secured his PGA Tour victory.
McNealy is a licensed pilot and flew himself in a Cirrus SR22 single-engine propeller plane to compete in the 2025 Genesis Invitational golf tournament in La Jolla, California. His brother, Scout, is his caddie for the 2025 PGA Tour season.
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Scottie Scheffler's Masters Tournament earnings
Scottie Scheffler is an American professional golfer who has had an impressive career. He has won three major championships, including the Masters Tournament twice (in 2022 and 2024) and the PGA Championship in 2025. Scheffler's victory at the 2022 Masters Tournament was a significant moment in his career, as it was his first major tournament win. He followed this up with another impressive performance in 2024, winning the Masters for the second time and taking home $3.6 million in prize money.
Scheffler's earnings from the 2024 Masters Tournament contributed to his impressive annual income. In 2024, he earned a total of $27,696,858 from the tournaments he participated in. This included his earnings from six wins in official PGA Tour events, with each victory earning him over $3.6 million. Scheffler's success in these tournaments pushed his total earnings for the year to over $24 million, breaking the PGA Tour season earnings record.
Scheffler's talent and determination have led to his ranking as the world number one golfer. His consistent performance and multiple victories have solidified his position at the top. In addition to his Masters Tournament earnings, Scheffler's net worth is valued at $50 million, according to Celebrity Net Worth. This figure is expected to continue growing as he maintains his dominant position in the world of golf.
Scheffler's journey to becoming a top golfer began with a successful amateur career. He turned professional in 2018 and quickly rose through the ranks. In 2019, he was named Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year, and in 2020, he was recognised as the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. Scheffler's breakout season came in 2022, when he achieved multiple victories and rose to the number one ranking in the Official World Golf Ranking.
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Dustin Johnson's career earnings
As of 2025, Dustin Johnson is the third highest-paid professional golfer, with $166.6 million in career earnings. Johnson has earned the most from the LIV Golf Series, with $54.1 million. In 2022, Johnson resigned from the PGA Tour to compete in the LIV Golf Series full-time.
Johnson's career earnings are boosted by his success in golf tournaments. For example, in 2015, he won the BMW PGA Championship, the flagship event of the DP World Tour. He also won the Genesis Championship in South Korea in October 2024. Johnson has had notable success on the DP World Tour, with seven wins, including the 2024 Dubai Invitational. He has also had two runner-up finishes and six top-10 finishes on the DP World Tour.
Johnson has also had success on the PGA Tour, with one notable win at the 2019 RBC Canadian Open. He has also had close calls on the PGA Tour, including two second-place finishes at the 2018 John Deere Classic and the 2021 Corales Puntacana. Johnson has had five third-place finishes, including the 2023 Farmers Insurance Open, where he led by one shot going into the final round.
Johnson's career earnings are also boosted by his longevity and skill. He has earned over $1 million in six of his first seven seasons on the PGA Tour, and in 2025, he is on track to do so again. Johnson's success has come from his consistency, with over $10 million in earnings without winning a tour event.
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Frequently asked questions
Tiger Woods is the richest golfer in the world, with an estimated net worth of around £870 million ($1.1 billion).
Maverick McNealy is the second-richest golfer and is heir to a $7 billion fortune.
Tiger Woods is the first golfer to earn over a billion dollars from the sport.
Rory McIlroy is the highest-paid professional golfer by career earnings.
