LIVing at the top: New list of highest-paid golfers reveals big changes

Dustin Johnson of the United States smiles on the first tee during a practice round prior to the start of the 2022 PGA Championship at Southern Hills Country Club on May 18, 2022 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Dustin Johnson charged up the ranking of highest-paid golfers this year.

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Phil Mickelson may be a combined 42-over-par since joining LIV Golf, but he’s finally No. 1 in something.

According to a new ranking from Forbes of the world’s highest-paid golfers, Mickelson is the highest-paid golfer in the world over the past 12 months, raking in $138 million both on and off the course.

Former President Trump and Phil Mickelson say hello at the LIV Golf event at Trump Bedminster.
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Much of the $102 million in on-course earnings owing in large part to his reportedly massive contract with LIV Golf. In fact, 7 of the top-10 on the list are LIV defectors.

Perhaps more notable than Tiger Woods, the guy basically responsible for professional golfers being able to make millions of dollars in the first place, being bumped all the way down to fifth, is World No. 123 Charl Schwartzel coming in at No. 10!

Joining Woods as the only PGA Tour loyalists to make the list are Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. Of course the Tour potentially hopes to change this for next year with increased purses and bonus pool money announced in its new schedule.

Another item to note is each LIV golfer has vastly more on course earnings than endorsements while the opposite is true for Woods, McIlroy and Spieth.

Here’s the full Top-10:

No. 1 Phil Mickelson: $138 million ($102 million on-course/$36 million off-course)
No. 2 Dustin Johnson: $97 million ($68 million/$29 million)
No. 3 Bryson DeChambeau: $86 million ($66 million/$20 million)
No. 4 Brooks Koepka: $69 million ($53 million/$16 million)
No. 5 Tiger Woods: $68 million ($43,500/$68 million)
No. 6 Rory McIlroy: $43 million ($9 million/$34 million)
No. 7 Sergio Garcia: $42 million ($35 million/$7 million)
No. 8 Jordan Spieth: $39 million ($8 million/$31 million)
No. 9 Patrick Reed: $37 million ($34 million/$3 million)
No. 10 Charl Schwartzel: $34 million ($30 million/$4 million)

Jack Hirsh

Golf.com Editor

Jack Hirsh is an assistant editor at GOLF. A Pennsylvania native, Jack is a 2020 graduate of Penn State University, earning degrees in broadcast journalism and political science. He was captain of his high school golf team and recently returned to the program to serve as head coach. Jack also still *tries* to remain competitive in local amateurs. Before joining GOLF, Jack spent two years working at a TV station in Bend, Oregon, primarily as a Multimedia Journalist/reporter, but also producing, anchoring and even presenting the weather. He can be reached at jack.hirsh@golf.com.