19th Hole

Phil Mickelson is the highest paid athlete for 2022…and LIV pros dominate the top 10 golfer list

Published

4 years ago

Aug 1, 2022

Whatever the thoughts on LIV Golf, and there are quite a few out there, one thing is for sure – it has put a lot of money into quite a few bank accounts.

Related: Phil Mickelson’s LIV heckler is revealed…and here’s what happened next

On Friday, Forbes revealed the list of highest paid golfers for 2022, and according to the hugely respected financial report, the organization has boosted the top-10 golfers’ income by around $370 million!

Related: Bryson opens up on relationship with Tiger that’s now gone cold since LIV

The recent third LIV event concluded last night at Bedminster, with recent recruits Charles Howell III and Jason Kokrak starting the final round 14 and 15 shots behind fellow newcomer Henrik Stenson.

Much of the golfing world believes some players are being dishonest about the reasons for joining the Saudi-backed tour – many wanting confirmation it is all about the huge money offered rather than more free time, playing conditions etc. – and Howell was at pains to point out the same as many of his fellow players.

Even with over $40 million in the bank via a long PGA Tour career, that amount could be chicken-feed if Forbes are right about the difference LIV can make.

Bryson DeChambeau may say he wants to be part of a revolutionary tour from the beginning, but according to Forbes, his $62 million upfront payment has lifted him to third on the golfer’s earnings list and 11th in the list of highest paid athletes.

Bryson’s supposed big rival, Brooks Koepka, who beat him senseless in a grudge version of The Match, is listed just one place behind his foe in 4th place, whilst Tiger Woods – ‘The GOAT’ for many golf fans – lags at number 5 after refusing what Greg Norman called a “mind-blowingly enormous” offer.

Two-time major winner Dustin Johnson “pocketed $97 million in the last year, including an estimated $62 million signing bonus from LIV in May.” That takes him to second for golfers and fifth on the athlete’s list, and DJ isn’t shy in mentioning why he left – “Play less golf, play for more money—it just made sense.”

However, despite ‘Shipnuck-gate’ and the fact he has done very little in three LIV events so far, three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson leads the way.

Joining LIV as a way of “leveraging” against the PGA Tour, Forbes reports Lefty to have received half of his $200 million agreement upfront, contributing to a yearly income of $138 million and putting him on top of all other athletes in the rich list.

As well as DJ and Lefty, other Green Jacket-holders/LIV jumpers make the rankings for top-10 earning golfers.

Patrick Reed, Charles Schwartzel and Sergio Garcia have made huge amounts of money since their leap to LIV, whilst two-time Masters champ Bubba Watson is ready to play his first event over the next few months. Rumors also persist that fellow Masters champions Adam Scott and Hideki Matsuyama are ready to join.

For the LIV team, nabbing Matsuyama would be a huge plus in their efforts to take their idea worldwide, with the Asian market – and in particular Japan – being seen as big enough to have reportedly offered the biggest incentive to date.

Should the world ranked number 15 agree, Forbes may well need to revise their list.

How much each player won at the 2026 Masters

Published

1 month ago

Apr 13, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

Rory McIlroy made it two wins in as many years at Augusta National, seeing off the challengers on a dramatic Sunday to slip on the green jacket once again. The victory earned Rory a whopping payday of $4.5 million, with Scottie Scheffler his closest challenger earning $2.43 million for his sole runner-up finish.

With a total prize purse of $22.5 million up for grabs, here’s a look at how much each player won at the 2026 Masters tournament.

For players that did not make the cut, they still earned $25k for their efforts at the year’s opening major.

1: Rory McIlroy, $4.5 million
2: Scottie Scheffler, $2.43 million
T3: Tyrrell Hatton, $1.08 million
T3: Russell Henley, $1.08 million
T3: Justin Rose, $1.08 million
T3: Cameron Young, $1.08 million
T7: Collin Morikawa, $725,625
T7: Sam Burns, $725,625
T9: Xander Schauffele, $630,00
T9: Max Homa, $630,00
11: Jake Knapp, $562,500
T12: Jordan Spieth, $427,500
T12: Brooks Koepka, $427,500
T12: Hideki Matsuyama, $427,500
T12: Patrick Reed, $427,500
T12: Patrick Cantlay, $427,500
T12: Jason Day, $427,500
T18: Viktor Hovland, $315,000
T18: Maverick McNealy, $315,000
T18: Matt Fitzpatrick, $315,000
T21: Keegan Bradley, $252,000
T21: Ludvig Aberg, $252,000
T21: Wyndham Clark, $252,000
T24: Matt McCarty, $182,083
T24: Adam Scott, $182,083
T24: Sam Stevens, $182,083
T24: Chris Gotterup, $182,083
T24: Michael Brennan, $182,083
T24: Brian Campbell, $182,083
T30: Alex Noren, $146,250
T30: Harris English, $146,250
T30: Shane Lowry, $146,250
T33: Gary Woodland, $121,500
T33: Dustin Johnson, $121,500
T33: Brian Harman, $121,500
T33: Tommy Fleetwood, $121,500
T33: Ben Griffin, $121,500
T38: Jon Rahm, $105,750
T38: Ryan Gerard, $101,250
T38: Haotong Li, $96,750
T41: Justin Thomas, $92,250
T41: Sepp Straka, $87,750
T41: Jacob Bridgeman, $83,250
T41: Kristoffer Reitan, $78,750
T41: Nick Taylor, $74,250
46: Sungjae Im, $69,750
47: Si Woo Kim, $65,250
48: Aaron Rai, $61,650
T49: Corey Conners, $57,600
T49: Marco Penge, $57,600
51: Kurt Kitayama, $55,250
52: Sergio Garcia, $54,000
53: Rasmus Hojgaard, $52,650
54: Charl Schwartzel, $51,300

19th Hole

CBS’s Sunday Masters coverage slammed by golf fans

Published

1 month ago

Apr 13, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

While Sunday was a dramatic day at the Masters, many golf fans were left feeling frustrated by the CBS final round coverage.

There were plenty of moments that golf fans took to social media to air their frustrations on Sunday over, including a lack of shots being shown throughout the day, being behind the live action, confusion over the approach shots of the final group on 18, and providing an angle for the winning putt where the cup couldn’t be seen.

Here’s a look at some of the criticisms that were directed at the CBS coverage throughout the day on X:

This has been a brutal broadcast for CBS. When the folks from Augusta sit down with them this year, you can bet they’ll talk about this 15 seconds where we have no idea where Rory’s ball went, and Dottie moans. #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/ak3mkpIN7V

— Ryan (@PossiblyRy) April 12, 2026

It’s rare criticism coming in for CBS, who are usually heavily praised for their Masters coverage each year.

19th Hole

The surprise club Tommy Fleetwood says is key to his Masters chances

Published

1 month ago

Apr 7, 2026

Gianni Magliocco

Tommy Fleetwood goes in search for the first major victory of his career again this week, with the Englishman proving to be a popular pick at Augusta National.

Fleetwood’s best showing at Augusta came back in 2024 where he finished T3, and while speaking at his pre-tournament press conference, the 35-year-old emphasized the importance of his 9-wood in his pursuit of the green jacket.

Speaking on Tuesday to media, Fleetwood said:

“It’s a great 9-wood golf course. I think it’s always been — I can’t remember when I first put like a 9-wood in or a high lofted club, but it’s a perfect like 9-wood golf course. I’ve had that in the bag for a few years.”

The Englishman continued, revealing that his strategy for the week won’t just be to hit driver off the tee as much as possible:

“Yeah, it’s funny really because I know Augusta is probably associated with being fairly forgiving off the tee in a way, so you think you can whale around driver a little bit. But I don’t necessarily think that’s always the play for me. I think there’s holes that set up really well where I can draw it with the mini driver if I’m feeling less comfortable with the driver and things like that.”

That strategy he believes will make his TaylorMade Qi10 9-wood extra critical this week in Georgia:

“The biggest thing is the 9-wood for me. If I can put myself in position on the par-5s or the 4th long par-3, like it — for me, I can’t really hit that high 4-iron, so 9-wood helps me a lot.”