Yesterday ESPN released its list of the “most famous athletes in the world,” ranking the biggest stars in sports using salary, endorsements, social media followings, and Google popularity. By our count, there are seven golfers on the list—but the players who made the cut might surprise you.
Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, and Rory McIlroy are obvious shoo-ins, appearing at number 7, 13, and 20 respectively. Jordan Spieth, Lydia Ko, and Justin Rose: sure. But Billy Horschel, who’s listed here as the 83rd most famous athlete on the planet? ESPN’s write-up of Horschel’s achievements cites his T4 finish at the 2013 U.S. Open, which he achieved while wearing octopus-patterned pants. Horschel’s had a successful career on the PGA Tour since he turned pro in 2009 (he’s won three times), but is he one of golf’s most visible stars? We’re not convinced on that front. Meanwhile, Michelle Wie and Rickie Fowler are nowhere to be found.
Check out the full ranking here.
For his part, Horschel had this response:
Seems like some ppl aren’t happy I’m on ESPN Fame 100 List. As Mystikal says, “it ain’t my fault” that I’m on it and other guys aren’t
— Billy Horschel (@BillyHo_Golf) June 1, 2016
