Seven richest golfers ever revealed, and just three of them are still playing

These days, golf is a sport where players can become incredibly wealthy without ever having to win a professional tournament.

This year, Will Zalatoris was ranked 120th on the money list, but still earned more than $1 million.

But throughout the sport’s history, there are seven players who stand out from everyone else in terms of financial success.

Among active players, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Jon Rahm feature on the list. The non-active names include Arnold Palmer, who passed away in 2016, Jack Nicklaus, Greg Norman and Gary Player.

Tiger may not be playing regularly at the moment, but he is not officially retired either. There is still a chance he could make another appearance or two down the line.

Outside the top seven, Rory McIlroy is next with an estimated net worth of $170 million. Jordan Spieth follows in ninth place with $110 million while Sir Nick Faldo sits 15th at $60 million.

Golf’s top earners in 2025

In 2025, $40 million in earnings was only just enough to break into the top 10 among golf’s highest-paid players.

The list of this year’s top earners highlights just how much money has flowed into the game recently.

The pertinent question now is whether golf’s financial expansion will maintain this rate in the coming years.

If you had told someone a decade ago that PGA Tour prize money would double by 2025, they would have laughed it off. But since Covid, the game has grown massively, and there is no indication that the flow of cash is slowing down.