Neither Scottie Scheffler nor Rory McIlroy is the highest-paid golfer of 2026

Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy are inarguably the two best golfers on the planet right now, but neither PGA Tour superstar is the highest-paid player in 2026. According to Forbes, LIV Golf star Jon Rahm is the highest-paid golfer in the world for the third consecutive year. 

It's not particularly close, either.

Even though Rahm didn't win a major championship in the last year, he still raked in $111 million in the last 12 months. A whopping $101 million came from on-course earnings, as Rahm earned an estimated $50 million from his LIV Golf contract and tacked on $18 million in bonuses by winning the individual championship in 2025 and two tournaments in 2026. The Spaniard has earned more than $400 million on LIV Golf since joining the rival league in 2024. 

In addition to his on-course earnings, Rahm also added $10 million from brand partnerships, appearance fees and licensing income, per Forbes. 

Second on the list is Scheffler, who earned $79 million in the last 12 months. Only $49 million of that total came from on-course earnings. The 29-year-old has won only one PGA Tour event in 12 starts this year, which is disappointing by his sky-high standards. An impressive $30 million of Scheffler's earnings came from off-course brand deals with Nike, TaylorMade and others.