Inside The Money Behind The World’s Highest-Paid Golfers

More than $1 billion in prize money is at stake for the sport’s top players—including a $20 million payday at this weekend’s 2024 U.S. Open.

_{By Justin Birnbaum, Forbes Staff}

The world’s highest-paid golfers didn’t set a record in 2024, but putting for dough still pays quite well. The 10 top-earning players in the sport pulled in an estimated $678 million before taxes and agents’ fees, a 10% drop from last year’s mark of $752 million. That’s primarily because LIV Golf—which in its brief history has guaranteed payments of at least $1 billion to entice the world’s best golfers to join the Saudi-backed tour—isn’t spending like it used to. Two-time major winner Jon Rahm was LIV’s only big-name acquisition this past year, which is why he ranks No. 1 on the earnings list with $218 million.

While golf’s fractured landscape has prevented the best in the world, like Rahm and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, from competing against each other on a weekly basis, that won’t be the case this weekend. On Thursday, the golf world will descend on Pinehurst, North Carolina for the third Major championship of 2024, the 124th U.S. Open. At stake is $20 million in prize money, giving the victor a nice head start on next year’s earnings list.

Here are the most eye-popping numbers from the highest-earning golfers list and the 2024 U.S. Open.

$900 million: The reported annual media rights fees for the PGA Tour. The bulk of that amount, more than $700 million annually, comes from CBS, NBC and ESPN. The Tour also signed a 12-year, $2 billion global rights pact with Warner Bros. Discovery in 2018, pushing the total package close to $900 million.

$427 million: The total estimated earnings of the six LIV golfers among the 10 highest paid. For the past two years, LIV has claimed more members of the top 10 than the PGA Tour and 2024 is no different. The bulk comes from on-course earnings by way of prize money and signing bonuses. Off-the-course opportunities—such as sponsorships—have traditionally diminished for those who joined LIV.

$405 million: LIV Golf’s total prize money for the 2024 season. The breakaway Saudi league hosts 13 regular season events—each with $25 million purses, plus $30 million individual bonus money and a $50 million team championship. That’s up 59% from LIV’s inaugural prize pool of $255 million in 2022.

$402.4 million: The total regular season prize money awarded by the PGA Tour in 2024. Combine that with the four Majors, a slate of yet-to-be-scheduled fall events and bonus pools, and that’s another $340 million. In total, there’s roughly $740 million on the table for PGA Tour golfers in 2024.

$167 million: The off-course earnings of the world’s 10 highest-paid golfers. That’s a little more than a 2% increase over the collective $163 million mark of last year’s top earners.

$100 million: The 2024 FedEx Cup prize pool. To compete with deep-pocketed LIV, the PGA Tour raised the stakes this year, up from $75 million. This year’s winner of the Tour Championship will take home $20 million instead of the $18 million Viktor Hovland (above) won in 2023.

$55 million: Tiger Woods’ off-course earnings. Even at 48 years old, the 15-time Major champion has a deep endorsement portfolio that includes 2K, Bridgestone, Monster Energy and Kowa. The biggest change in Woods’ sponsorships, of course, was his departure from Nike after 27 years to launch a joint venture with TaylorMade called Sun Day Red.

$3.9 million: The winner’s share of the U.S. Open purse. Like 2023, the event will offer total winnings of $20 million. The prize for the victor is a touch higher this time around. Last year, Wyndham Clark finished first and won $3.6 million. Rory McIlroy finished second and pocketed $2.2 million.

237,106: The number of beers the U.S. Open expects to sell during the tournament. Fans are also projected to consume 59,404 hot dogs, 27,415 hamburgers, 31,905 bags of chips and 17,070 desserts, according to the USGA.

125,000: The number of merchandise transactions the U.S Open expects this weekend. More than 400,000 branded items will be available for sale at the event, with roughly 100,000 hats (starting at $25) sold during championship week. The USGA has allocated nearly 40,000 square feet of merchandise space at Pinehurst between its main pavilion and a satellite location.

1895: The year of the first U.S Open, played at Newport Golf Club in Rhode Island. The inaugural event featured 36 holes played in one day. Horace Rawlins, a 21-year-old Englishman won with a score of 173, and took home $150, a gold medal and the trophy for a year.

1,000: The number of championship events held by the USGA, including this weekend. A day before Horace Rawlins won the inaugural U.S. Open in 1895, the USGA also hosted the first U.S. Amateur Championship at Newport Country Club. Future golf course architect Charles Blair Macdonald, who was just 19 at the time, claimed victory.

+300: Scottie Scheffler’s odds to win the 2024 U.S. Open. With those odds, betting $10 on the tournament’s prohibitive favorite would net $30 if he wins. The world’s No. 1 golfer is followed by last month’s PGA Championship winner, Xander Schauffele, (+1000) and Rory McIlroy (+1100). Bryson DeChambeau is a longer shot, with 20-1 odds, while a Tiger Woods victory would give bettors a 300-times return on their money.

29: Pinehurst No. 2’s ranking on Golf Digest’s list of America’s 100 Greatest Courses. The host of the 2024 U.S Open was designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, who also crafted Bandon Dunes’ third course, Bandon Trails.

13: The number of LIV Golf teams after the league granted Jon Rahm an expansion franchise. His team, Legion XIII, has won two events in 2024 and recently announced a partnership with Maestro Dobel Tequila, a first-of-its-kind deal for a LIV franchise.

6: Nelly Korda’s LPGA wins in 2024. The world’s No. 1 female golfer (above) has been scorching hot this season, and it couldn’t have come at a better time. The total LPGA Tour prize money this season rose to $123 million, up 76% from 2021. The 25-year-old Korda also tops the LPGA money list with $2.9 million.

1: Scottie Scheffler’s official world golf ranking. The 27-year-old first claimed the top spot in March 2022 and has held it for 90 weeks. throughout his career. He’s currently in his longest stretch as the world’s top golfer, a period of 56 weeks that began in May 2023.

0: Jon Rahm’s wins on the LIV Golf tour. The Saudi-backed league reportedly gave the 29-year-old Spaniard a $350 million guarantee, half of which Forbes estimates he received upfront. Despite landing what’s believed to be the largest deal the Saudis have given a LIV golfer, Rahm has only managed two third-place finishes in eight events. He also will not play in the U.S. Open, after withdrawing from last week’s LIV Golf event in Houston with a foot injury.

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