Yahoo Sports Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods and 43 More of the Richest Golfers of All Time
It’s a strange time to be a pro golfer. The coronavirus health crisis has forced the cancellation or postponement of several big, annual PGA tournaments, including the Masters — and more significant cancellations are expected in the near future.
But now, while many wait for life to return to normal, looking back at history is pretty incredible. Throughout golf’s history, 45 golfers have won at least one major PGA tournament and also amassed a fortune of at least $10 million, making them some of the richest golfers of all time. All net worth information comes from Celebrity Net Worth, and all golfer career and biography information comes from the PGA. See which golfers have made history and major money.
Last updated: Sept. 30, 2020
Ben Hogan: $10 Million
Ben Hogan’s legendary career began when he joined the PGA Tour in 1931. A giant of golf remembered for his technically flawless swing, Hogan earned an incredible 64 PGA Tour victories — 13 in 1946 alone — including nine majors. He won the “Triple Crown” of golf in 1953 when he won three majors in one year, a feat that would only be matched by Tiger Woods in 2000. Hogan died in 1997.
Jeff Sluman: $10 Million
Jeff Sluman turned pro in 1980 and earned nearly $12.13 million on the course over the next 40 years. He won six PGA Tour victories, including one major — the PGA Championship in 1988. He continues to play on the PGA Tour Champions circuit and has racked up four non-Tour wins and one international victory.
Fuzzy Zoeller: $10 Million
Fuzzy Zoeller turned pro in 1973 and was still playing on the PGA Tour Champions circuit, which he joined in 2002, all the way through 2017. He racked up 10 PGA Tour victories in his time, including two majors — the Masters in 1979 and the U.S. Open in 1984. He earned more than $4.65 million on the course.
Mark O’Meara: $11 Million
Mark O’Meara turned pro in 1980 and joined the PGA Tour just one year later. Two of his 16 Tour victories were major wins, both of which came in the same year — he won the Masters and the Open Championship in 1998. He continues to play in the PGA Tour Champions league, where he’s won three victories.
Corey Pavin: $12 Million
One of Corey Pavin’s 15 PGA Tour victories was a major win, which he earned when he won the U.S. Open in 1995. He turned pro in 1982, joined the PGA Tour in 1984 and moved on to the PGA Tour Champions in 2000, where he plays to this day. His career earnings total nearly $6.53 million.
Nick Price: $12 Million
Nick Price amassed 18 PGA Tour victories over the course of his career, which began when he turned pro in 1977 — he joined the PGA Tour in 1983. He moved onto the Champions circuit in 2007, where he played through 2015. Two of his victories were majors, both PGA Championships, in 1992 and 1994.
Mark Calcavecchia: $13 Million
Mark Calcavecchia has played at the Champions level since 2010, which he joined after he turned pro in 1981 and joined the PGA Tour the following year. One of his 13 Tour victories was a major win. Over the course of his career, he’s earned more than $31.35 million in total winnings.
Tom Lehman: $13 Million
Tom Lehman went pro in 1982, joined the Tour one year later, moved on to the Champions in 2009 and continues to play today. He earned more than $12.72 million during that time and racked up five PGA Tour victories. One of them was a major, the 1996 Open Championship.
Jason Dufner: $14 Million
Jason Dufner joined the PGA Tour in 2004 after going pro in 2000. Among his five tour victories is a major win in the form of a first place finish at the 2013 PGA Championship. He’s had 47 top 10 victories and picked up more than $27 million in total money in a career that continues today.
Ben Crenshaw: $15 Million
Ben Crenshaw turned pro in 1973 and joined the PGA Tour that very same year. He amassed an impressive 19 Tour victories along the way, including two Masters wins, one in 1984 and his final Tour victory in 1995. He joined the Tour Champions in 2002 and continued playing all the way through 2018.
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Webb Simpson: $16 Million
Webb Simpson has earned $38.07 million during the course of his career, including more than $2.75 million in 2020 alone. He turned pro in 2008, joined the PGA Tour the following year and has won six Tour victories along the way. One of them was a major, the U.S. Open in 2012.
Brooks Koepka: $18 Million
Brooks Koepka has earned nearly $30.4 million during a career that began when he turned pro in 2012. He’s piled up a string of impressive titles, including seven PGA Tour victories. He earned three of them in 2019 alone — among them was a major, the PGA Championship. It was his fourth major win. He won both the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship in 2018 after winning the U.S. Open in 2017.
David Duval: $20 Million
A pro since 1993, David Duval joined the PGA Tour in 1995. He won 13 Tour victories, including one major, the Open Championship in 2001. Over the course of his career, the Jacksonville, Florida, native earned just shy of $19 million. He also won one international victory and picked up three non-Tour wins.
Raymond Floyd: $20 Million
Raymond Floyd turned pro in 1961, joined the PGA Tour in 1963 and then moved onto the Champions in 1992. Among his 22 Tour victories were four major wins: the 1969 PGA Championship, the 1976 Masters, the 1982 PGA Championship and the 1986 U.S. Open.
Dustin Johnson: $20 Million
Dustin Johnson has won more than a half-million dollars in 2020 so far, which is tacked on to his $62.29 million total money. He went pro in 2007, joined the Tour the very next year and has won an impressive 20 PGA tour victories in the ensuing years. One of them, the 2016 U.S. Open, was a major.
Johnny Miller: $20 Million
Johnny Miller turned pro in 1969, joined the PGA Tour that same year and played all the way through 1997. He has a remarkable 25 Tour victories to his name, including two majors. The best year of his career was 1974 when he won eight tour victories in a single year.
Zach Johnson: $25 Million
A pro since 1998, Zach Johnson has been part of the PGA Tour since 2004. He racked up 12 Tour victories between that year and 2015. Two of them, the 2007 Masters and the 2015 Open Championship, were major wins. Over the course of his career, he’s earned more than $45.44 million.
Justin Leonard: $25 Million
Justin Leonard joined the PGA Tour in 1994, the same year he turned pro, and he played his last year in 2017. He won the Open Championship, his only major tournament, in 1997, but that was just one of 12 PGA Tour victories. Over the course of his career, he earned nearly $34 million.
Geoff Ogilvy: $25 Million
Australian Geoff Ogilvy has been a pro since 1998, three years before he joined the Tour in 2001. The 2006 U.S. Open is the one major victory among his eight PGA Tour wins. Over the course of his career, which ended in 2018, he won more than $30.45 million.
Henrik Stenson: $25 Million
A pro since 1999, Henrik Stenson joined the PGA Tour in 2007. Among his six Tour victories was one major win, the 2016 Open Championship. He also racked up 13 international victories, and in 2013, he was named the FedEx Cup champion. In total, he’s won $31.5 million.
Tom Watson: $25 Million
One of the most accomplished golfers in history, Tom Watson has 39 PGA Tour victories to his name, including eight major wins. He turned pro in 1971, the same year he joined the PGA Tour, and entered the Champions circuit in 1999. After nearly a half-century in the sport, his career continues today.
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Mike Weir: $25 Million
Canadian Mike Weir turned pro in 1992, he joined the PGA Tour in 1998, and his career continues today. His only major win was a victory at the Masters in 2003, but that was just one of eight Tour victories. He’s earned nearly $28 million in winnings over the course of his career.
Justin Thomas: $30 Million
Justin Thomas has been a pro since 2013 and a PGA Tour member since 2015. He’s amassed 12 Tour victories in that time, including one major tournament, the 2017 PGA Championship. He won two tournaments in 2020 alone and has been a part of seven national teams.
David Toms: $35 Million
David Toms remains a force on the PGA Champions circuit, which he joined in 2017. He originally turned pro in 1989, joined the PGA Tour in 1991 and won 13 Tour tournaments during his tenure. One of them, the 2001 PGA Championship, was a major win. In 2018, he won the U.S. Senior Open Championship.
Bubba Watson: $35 Million
A pro since 2002, Bubba Watson remains one of the biggest names in golf. He has 12 career Tour wins to his name, including two majors — he won the Masters in both 2012 and 2014. The best year of his career was 2018 when he won three tournaments. He joined the PGA Tour in 2006.
Jason Day: $40 Million
Australian Jason Day has been a pro since 2006 and a PGA Tour member since 2008. Of his 12 Tour victories, nearly half came during the best year of his career when he won five tournaments in 2015. Among the pile of victories he racked up that year was his only major win, the PGA Championship.
Pádraig Harrington: $40 Million
Irish golfer Pádraig Harrington turned pro in 1995 but didn’t join the PGA Tour until a full decade later in 2005. He’s won six Tour victories, exactly half of which were majors. He won the Open Championship in 2007. The next year in 2008, he won it again and also won the PGA Championship.
Justin Rose: $40 Million
South African Justin Rose turned pro in 1998, joined the PGA Tour in 2004 and continues to play professionally today. Of his 10 Tour victories, one was a major — he won the U.S. Open in 2013. He’s also piled up 12 international victories and was named the 2018 FedEx Cup champion.
Lee Trevino: $40 Million
Eighty-year-old Lee Trevino was still playing on the Champions Tour as recently as 2011. A household name even for people who don’t care about golf, Trevino turned pro in 1960 and didn’t move onto the Tour Champions until 1989. He racked up a remarkable 29 Tour victories, including six majors, and another 29 Champions wins.
Davis Love III: $50 Million
A pro since 1985, Davis Love III began his standout career on the PGA Tour in 1986 and played all the way to 2014. That year, he joined the Tour Champions, where he continues to play to this day. His only major victory was the PGA Championship in 1997, but in total, he won an impressive 21 PGA Tour tournaments.
Adam Scott: $50 Million
Australian Adam Scott became a pro in 2000 and has won 14 PGA Tour victories since joining the Tour in 2003. Among those victories was a win at the Masters in 2013. He tallied another 14 international victories and won three non-Tour tournaments. Along the way, he earned $55.26 million.
Nick Faldo: $60 Million
Nick Faldo turned pro in 1976 and played on the PGA Tour until 2007. That year, he joined the Tour Champions, where he played through 2015. He won nine Tour victories and remarkably, two-thirds of them were major tournaments. He also won an impressive 33 international victories and 34 non-Tour wins.
Jim Furyk: $60 Million
Jim Furyk joined the PGA Tour two years after turning pro in 1992. Not only was he the 2010 FedEx Cup champion, but he won 17 Tour victories over the course of his career, including one major tournament — the 2003 U.S. Open. In total, he’s won $71.23 million in prize money.
Sergio García: $70 Million
One of Spanish golfer Sergio Garcia’s 10 PGA Tour tournament wins was a major, the 2017 Masters. It was a long time coming. Garcia turned pro and joined the PGA Tour in 1999 and won 20 international victories on top of his many Tour wins. His efforts earned him more than $50 million on the course.
Vijay Singh: $75 Million
Fiji native Vijay Singh turned pro in 1982 but didn’t join the PGA Tour until 1993. He still plays on the PGA Tour as well as the Tour Champions, which he joined in 2013. He left his mark on the sport with 34 Tour victories, three of which were majors, as well as 22 international victories.
Ernie Els: $85 Million
Ernie Els turned pro in 1989, joined the PGA Tour in 1994 and played on the Tour until 2019. Today, he plays on the Tour Champions circuit. He tallied 19 Tour victories during his standout career, including four major wins. He also won an incredible 47 international victories and played on national teams throughout the ’90s and 2000s.
Jordan Spieth: $100 Million
Jordan Spieth is one of nine golfers with a nine-figure net worth and at least one major win — three, in his case. He turned pro in 2012, joined the PGA Tour in 2013 and has already amassed 11 Tour victories, including three majors, two of which he won in 2015 alone as part of a single year with five tournament wins.
Fred Couples: $120 Million
Fred Couples began his standout career when he turned pro in 1980 and joined the PGA Tour in 1981. He won 15 Tour victories, including the Masters in 1992, as well as 25 non-Tour victories, five international victories and 13 wins in the Tour Champions series, which he joined in 2010 and continues playing in today.
Rory McIlroy: $150 Million
Northern Ireland native Rory McIlroy is one of the most successful, dynamic and marketable golfers in the modern era. After going pro in 2007 and joining the PGA Tour in 2010, he piled up 18 Tour victories, including four majors, in just one decade. He also picked up nine international victories and was the FedEx Cup champion twice.
Gary Player: $250 Million
With an impressive 24 PGA Tour victories with nine major wins, Gary Player is one of the greatest golfers in the history of the sport. He turned pro in 1953, joined the Tour in 1957 and, remarkably, he played on the PGA Tour all the way through 2009. He also tallied 22 Tour Champions wins and an astounding 118 international victories.
Jack Nicklaus: $320 Million
If golf had a Mount Rushmore, Jack Nicklaus’ face — along with those of Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan and Tiger Woods — would have to be on it. He joined the PGA Tour in 1962 and the Tour Champions in 1990, playing all the way into the mid-2000s. His legendary career included 73 Tour victories and 18 major wins.
Phil Mickelson: $400 Million
Phil Mickelson amassed 44 PGA Tour victories, including five majors, over the course of his career, which started when he turned pro and joined the Tour in 1992 and that continues today. He’s known almost as much for his many lucrative endorsement deals as he is for his play on the course — and he’s got a massive fortune to show for both.
Greg Norman: $400 Million
Greg Norman joined the PGA Tour in 1983 after turning pro in 1976. He scored 20 Tour victories, including two majors, 57 international victories and 70 non-Tour wins. He joined the Tour Champions in 2005 and continued playing all the way through 2012.
Arnold Palmer: $700 Million
Few people have had more of an impact on the sport of golf than Arnold Palmer, a legend who loomed large over the sport both during his career and after. When he died in 2016, Palmer left behind a legacy that includes tournaments, equipment, courses and even an iced tea drink that he designed — not to mention he had an incredible 62 PGA Tour victories and seven major wins.
Tiger Woods: $800 Million
Tiger Woods is the greatest, richest and most famous golfer of all time — a household-name celebrity even among people who have never watched a round or swung a club. No golfer in history has won more than Woods’ 82 PGA Tour victories, which include 15 major wins and nine victories in one year during his miraculous 2000 season. His massive endorsement deals have helped make him one of the richest athletes ever as he approaches a three-comma net worth.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Arnold Palmer, Tiger Woods and 43 More of the Richest Golfers of All Time
