Dustin Johnson
Dustin Johnson is among the headliners at the LIV Golf Invitational in London. For the event, he's been offered $125 million but that amount may increase up to $150 million. Dustin has had his share of trouble, both on and off the course. But after two major wins, including the 2020 Masters win with -20 under par, he has become a force to reckon with.
While this season has started dismally, everyone knows Johnson is capable of multiple wins. Johnson has a Masters win, a U.S. Open win, 24 PGA wins total, and 74 million dollars and earnings. Like I said before, he is not hot every year, but when he is, barely any course can contain the excitement.
Bryson DeChambeau
Bryson DeChambeau has been guaranteed over $100 million to join the LIV Golf Invitational. DeChambeau has made a huge impact in his first six years on tour. After two wins in the 20-21 season, including his first major, the U.S. Open, he finished the season ranked 7th. He was the first to have two victories, and only one of six people to do it all season.
2022 has started slow, but nine top-10 finishes last season help to keep him very high on the list. Eight tour victories in only 134 events played, with 35 top-10 finishes is an incredible feat. The career total for earnings is 26 million, but he's now primed to win a whole lot more.
Louis Oosthuizen
Louis Oosthuizen will be quitting the PGA tour to play the LIV Golf Invitation, although the amount offered has not yet been disclosed. Born in South Africa, Oosthuizen has been listed as a professional for 20 years.
Oosthuizen won The Open Championship on the Old Course in Scotland in 2010 with a seven-stroke lead. Currently ranked as 7th in greens hit in regulation, he has the possibility to lower his scores dramatically.With 13 International victories and the major victory in 2010, 28 million dollars has been won with making the cut in 161 tournaments.
Phil Mickelson
Phil Mickelson will be joining the LIV Golf series and was reportedly offered over $200 million to play. In regard to joining LIV Golf, Mickelson had this to say:
“After 32 years, this new path is a fresh start, one that is exciting for me at this stage of my career and is clearly transformative, not just for myself, but ideally for the game and my peers. I also love the progressive format and think it will be exciting for fans. Just as importantly, it will provide balance, allowing me to focus on a healthier approach to life on and off the course. I am incredibly grateful for what this game and the PGA Tour has given me. I would like to think that I have given back as well but now I am excited about this new opportunity.”
Born and raised (partially) in San Diego, California, Phil Mickelson has been playing golf since childhood when he hit the green with his grandfather. After attending Arizona State University in Tempe on a golf scholarship, he participated in three individual NCAA championships, sharing a record for the most individual NCAA championships along with Ben Crenshaw. Thus far, he has a record of 45 PGA Tour wins and has the distinguishment of being the oldest major PGA Tour champion.
Cameron Smith
Australian-born Smith has been on tour since 2013. After winning the Sentry Tournament of Champions in January, he has also placed in the Top 10 in three of the six tournaments he has played. Ranking 2nd in birdies this season has helped his ranking tremendously. Cameron finished second—behind Dustin Johnson—in the 2020 Masters and has currently won over 19 million dollars.
His game has improved, and his world ranking is steadily climbing. Cameron Smith is now another player joining LIV Golf for a contract worth $100 million. Earlier, Cameron Smith had indicated that he was unsure about the LIV Golf tour. He told Australian Golf Digest, "it’s too early to decide whether (LIV) is a good product or not." But now he's saying, “I have no comment to that,...I’m here to play the FedExCup Playoffs. That’s been my focus the last week and a half, that’s what I’m here to do – I’m here to win the FedExCup Playoffs.” Money talks.
Patrick Reed
Patrick Reed is someone who has certainly made enough money from the PGA Tour, having won as much as $37 million in a decade, but the Saudi Arabian LIV Golf offer may have been too much to decline, as he too has signed up. And he’s excited about the tour, saying “It's refreshing to see team golf again. It takes me back to college and Ryder Cup days.” Reed will be appearing at the second event of the series later in June.
Born in San Antonio, Texas, Patrick Reed’s first big win happened at University High School in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It was there he won the 2006 Junior Open Championship. Thereafter, he played in college, and in 2011, started his professional career. Thus far, he has nine PGA Tour wins.
Sergio Garcia
Sergio Garcia recently resigned from the PGA Tour just ahead of the LIV Golf Open. Recently, in a released video, Garcia was on record as saying, “I can’t wait to leave this tour. I can’t wait to get out of here…couple of more weeks and I won’t have to deal with you anymore.” Although LIV Golf was not mentioned at all.
Born in Borriol, Castellón, Spain, Garcia is a professional Spanish golfer who has remained as one of the top 10 golfers in the world, according to the Official World Golf Ranking, for most of his career. His career earnings have amounted to more than $43 million and he has 11 PGA Tour wins on his belt.
Kevin Na
Kevin Na, who is a five-time PGA Tour winner has also elected to resign from the tour to participate in the LIV Golf tour, and too, faces the threat of getting banned. In his resignation statement, Kevin Na said:
“I would like the freedom to play wherever I want and exercising my right as a free agent gives me that opportunity. However, to remain a PGA Tour player, I must give up my right to make these choices about my career. If I exercise my right to choose where and when I play golf, then I cannot remain a PGA Tour player without facing disciplinary proceedings and legal action from the PGA Tour.”
Born in Seoul, South Korea, Kevin Na was a member of the PGA Tour from 2004 to 2022, having won 5 PGA tours in that time. After emigrating to the United States when he was eight years old, he dropped out of high school to play professional golf at the age of 17. He is now a naturalized citizen of the United States and lives in Las Vegas.
Ian Poulter
Ian Poulter is said to be earning between $20 to $30 million for playing in the LIV Golf series. Upon playing the first event at the Centurion Club, Poulter was among 17 players banned from the PGA Tour – among them also being Phil Mickelson and Sergio Garcia. But Poulter is seeking to appeal the decision, insisting that he has done nothing wrong, telling reporters, "I've played a lot of tournaments all around the world, this event is no different. It's a shame if they view this as something different.”
Ian Poulter was born in Hitchin, England but raised in Stevenage. He’s been playing golf since the age of four. By 1996, Poulter turned professional and got his first win at the 1999 Open de Côte d'Ivoire. Thus far, he has earned three PGA Tour wins and 12 European Tour wins.
Bubba Watson
Bubba Watson is one of the longest drivers on the PGA Tour. In fact, in 2007, he had an average drive of 315.2 yards, hit a ball over 350 yards, and could generate a speed of up to 194 mph. It’s no surprise that he’s made the list of the top money winners.
Even though 2019 didn’t go so well for Watson, 2018 showed what he was made of. In 2018, he won the Travelers Championship and added a cool $2.6 million to his winnings. He’s also won two majors in 2012 and 2014. Right now, Bubba Watson sits at total earnings of $44.1 million. Let’s hope 2020 is better for him.
Davis Love III
Davis Love III has been playing golf since the ‘80s, so there’s no doubt that he was going to make the list. The two-time Ryder Cup captain has won a total of 21 tours, including the 2015 Wyndham Championship. At age 52, he’s the third-oldest player to ever win a PGA tour. Naturally, he’s got the paycheck to show all these accomplishments.
This hall-of-famer has earned over $44.9 million during his career, but is it all over? In 2020, he’s set to begin a career as a CBS broadcaster. While he will still join championships, this new opportunity will limit Love to somewhat. He’s even said himself, “I will play select events, but my focus now shifts to broadcasting.”
Zach Johnson
Zach Johnson joined the PGA tour in 2004 and began one of the most stunning streaks in golfing history. For 15 years, Johnson was consistently one of the top players in the game. For a decade, he was able to stay between the top 10 and top 50 in the world. However, 2019 landed a harsh blow.
Johnson fell out of the top 100 for the first time in 15 years. Still, no one can deny that he’s good. He’s picked up 12 victories, including two major championships – the Masters in 2007 and the Open Championship in 2015. Today, Zach Johnson has total earnings amounting to $45.3 million.
Jason Day
Jason Day has had a rough time lately. In 2019, he was forced to withdraw from the Presidents Cup due to a back injury, something that had been plaguing him for a while. That being said, Day has been around since 2008 and has a total of 12 PGA tour wins. He’s also got three European wins under his belt.
Having spent some time as the number one player in the world, it isn’t a surprise he made this list. Day even beat Tiger at the 2019 The Challenge: Japan Skins. Overall, he’s earned quite a nice paycheck with current earnings above $45.9 million.
Ernie Els
The Big Easy has long had one of the sweetest swings in golf. Ever since joining the PGA tour in 1994, he’s had over 71 professional wins, 19 of which were PGA tour wins. Of those 19 wins, four of them were major championships. The rest of those wins are from a total of 28 European Tour wins, which is seventh of all time.
Ernie Els sure has had a great career, and he isn’t done yet. His total money winnings amount to a whopping $49.3 million. Considering how well he’s been doing, we wouldn’t be surprised if he crossed over to the $50 million threshold soon. Just one more big one.
Matt Kuchar
Doesn’t it seem like Kuch is almost always at the top of the leaderboards? Well, there’s a good reason for that. Kuchar has more than 80 top-10 finishes in his career, and that means he usually gets a big paycheck to go along with those wins.
In total, he’s had nine PGA tour wins, with the biggest being the Players Championship in 2012. Kuch has been a fan favorite, and we’re guessing he’s just starting to get warmed up. His total earnings sit at $50.1 million.
Rory McIlroy
McIlroy has only been on the professional circuit since 2007, but he’s already reached the top of the list. How? Well, he has a total of 18 PGA Tour wins, including two PGA Championships (2012 and 2014), The Open Championship in 2014, and The Players Championship in 2019.
Recently, McIlroy has made the news about refusing the golf event in Saudi Arabia, stating it’s a “morality” issue. He may be turning down millions there, but McIlroy still has earned $51 million in winnings.
Adam Scott
Adam Scott joined the PGA tour in 2003, and since then, he’s been breaking records. Scott was the only player this season to finish top 10 in both the Masters and the Players. He’s even passed Tiger and became the number one player on the Official World Golf Ranking for 11 weeks in 2014.
The 37-year-old Aussie has won 13 PGA Tours and 10 European Tours. Because of all these accomplishments, Scott has quite the bank account. His total winnings amount to $53.49 million. It won’t be long before he starts overtaking some of the others on this list!
Justin Rose
Justin Rose has had a really great career on both the PGA Tour and European Tour. He’s got a combined record of 23 wins in both tracks despite having joined the PGA tour in 2003. Rose famously won the U.S. Open in 2013, beating both Justin Day and Phil Mickelson. Now that’s an accomplishment!
Justin Rose is very clearly one of the top golfers in the industry, especially considering how many times he’s been the World Number one golfer. Overall, he has won a total of $53.5 million. Rose should be careful, though! Adam Scott is right on his tail.
Vijay Singh
Surprised to see Vijay Singh on the list? It makes sense after you take a look at the huge numbers he put up when he was full time on the PGA Tour. Joining in 1993, Singh would win the Masters in 2000, two PGA Championship victories, and 34 total wins – not including his 13 European wins.
Unfortunately, Singh was another golfer that suffered a back injury, and he was required to get a little R&R. After that, he had poor form, which resulted in him not winning a PGA Tour since 2008. Regardless, Singh is still at it and has $71.21 million in total winnings.
Jim Furyk
Jim Furyk turned pro in 1992, and the wins began rolling in a few years later. He has a total of 17 PGA Tour wins and ranked top-10 for over 440 weeks between 1999 and 2016. Furyk even holds the record for the lowest score in PGA Tour history, with a round of 58 during the 2016 Travelers Championship.
All that hard work and dedication certainly paid off – and paid well! Mr. 58 is the third-highest career money winners with over $71.23 million in his pocket. What will this golfer pull out next?
Tiger Woods
Of course Tiger Woods was going to be number one! Tiger is tied for first for the most PGA tour wins in history. Considering Sam Snead passed away in 2002, we’re guessing he’ll be first before long. On top of all those PGA Tour wins, Woods also has 40 wins in the European Tour! Ever since he returned from back surgery, Tiger is looking good and has been adding to his numbers, having recently won the 2019 Masters Tournament. Can you guess how much he’s won? The answer is a jaw-dropping $120.5 million!
So he definitely doesn't need the $700 million to $800 million LIV Golf reportedly threw at him! Woods has actually been highly critical of the players who have jumped ship; he told ESPN, "I disagree with it. I think that what they've done is they've turned their back on what has allowed them to get to this position."
Talor Gooch
Talor Gooch has been playing golf since he was just six years old. He went on to play golf at Oklahoma State University and played the PGA Tour Canada in 2015 and 2016. He would play again and again, but it wouldn’t be until 2021 that he would win his first PGA Tour at the RSM Classic in Sea Island, Georgia.
In May 2022, Talor Gooch joined the Saudi-backed LIV Golf Invitational Series. The amount of his signing bonus has not yet been disclosed but he’s earning plenty in prize money, even placing 9th at the LIV Golf London even at the Centurion Club. It was there he earned $580,000 in prize money. He like other players playing the invitational, have been banned from the PGA tour. In response to this, Gooch was surprised, expecting to be able to return, saying, “Historically the Tour has not done that. So based on the history, that was my expectations.”
Hudson Swafford
Hudson Swafford, born in Tallahassee, Florida, played golf at the University of Georgia. He joined the PGA Tour in 2014 and earned his first victory at the CareerBuilder Challenge in 2017. He won again in 2020 and earned his third PGA Tour win in January 2022. Hudson Swafford has now left the PGA Tour to play LIV Golf.
For Hudson Swafford, the schedule was most enticing for him as a man with two kids. He’s also excited about the team format, saying, “I think the format, the team aspect, is going to be incredible. Look at Zurich, putting teams together turned an event that was in a tough part of the schedule into one that gets some incredible fields. I’m really looking forward to seeing how that works.”
Matt Jones
Matt Jones is an Australian golfer has won twice on the PGA Tour but hasn’t shied away from the truth regarding his PGA leave in favor of LIV Golf. For him, it was a business decision. Jones said, “Purely a business decision for me and my family….It's a big decision for any golfer. I've given the PGA Tour 15 years out here, Korn Ferry four or five years before that. This is a quick decision for me for my business for me of being a self-employed contractor. And it works for me.”
But to be clear, he doesn’t want to think it’s just about the upfront money, saying, “The upfront money’s nice, it’s not like it's a life-changing amount for me at all.”
But what happens to Jones after competing at the LIV Golf Invitational? Matt Jones, along with Hudson Swafford and Talor Gooch, had requested to be able to play the PGA Tour Event, the FedEx Cup Playoffs. However, they were all denied by a judge who granted a restraining order against the players, denying their ability to play the event.
Joaquin Niemann
Joaquin Niemann has had a great year on the courses, with his most noticeable recent win coming during a PGA game at Riveria, where he bested other golf greats like Collin Morikawa and Cameron Young. Now, he’s moving onto LIV Gold for a whopping $100 million signing.
Joaquin Niemann at first turned down LIV Golf, stating to Golf.com, speaking out in support of the PGA Tour, “Nothing to tell from me. I want to do my best to beat all these [top-ranking players]...They’re still here and as long as they’re here, I’m not going anywhere. No chance.” Guess all that changed!