News: The top 50 earners in golf and how they earn it

As we are often reminded ‘these guys are good’. They are also rich, stinking rich.

Every year Golf Digest put together a list of the game’s biggest earners and every year the rest of us scratch our heads and feel slightly nauseous at the figures that are talked about.

This year, for the first time in 13 years, Tiger Woods has been knocked off the top spot by Jordan Spieth. Woods is down to number three though his on-course earnings of $551,098 (not bad for such a poor year) were boosted by $48m off it.

Three of the top 10 – Player, Nicklaus and Palmer ­– have a combined age of 241.

And three women, Paula Creamer, Lydia Ko and Stacy Lewis, all feature though there was no place for Michelle Wie or the second best player in the world Inbee Park.

Spieth earned more than $23m on the course and approximately $30m off it. He has a 10-year deal with Under Armour which includes equity in the company and his other big sponsorship are AT&T, Titleist and Rolex.

Phil Mickelson sits in second spot despite not winning a tournament in 2015.

How the numbers are measured

 

 

On-course earnings include all Tours and unofficial money won in non-Tour events

Off-course earnings includes estimates of all money earned from endorsements, bonuses, appearance fees, corporate outings, speaking engagements, licensing fees (video games, trading cards, etc.), course architecture, books, instructional videos and businesses that capitalize on a person’s status as a player.

Figures were compiled through interviews with agents, players and industry experts.

The list

 

50) PAULA CREAMER

 

ON COURSE: $363,485 OFF COURSE: $4,750,000 TOTAL: $5,113,485

49) PADRAIG HARRINGTON

 

ON COURSE: $1,491,667 OFF COURSE: $3,750,000 TOTAL: $5,241,667

48) SANGMOON BAE

 

ON COURSE: $2,794,632 OFF COURSE: $2,500,000 TOTAL: $5,294,632

47) LYDIA KO

 

ON COURSE: $3,800,802 OFF COURSE: $1,500,000 TOTAL: $5,300,802

46) DANNY LEE

 

ON COURSE: $4,515,933 OFF COURSE: $850,000 TOTAL: $5,365,933

45) BILL HAAS

 

ON COURSE: $3,309,024 OFF COURSE: $2,250,000 TOTAL: $5,559,024

44) IAN POULTER

 

ON COURSE: $2,154,348 OFF COURSE: $3,500,000 TOTAL: $5,654,348

43) PAUL CASEY

 

ON COURSE: $3,768,311 OFF COURSE: $2,000,000 TOTAL: $5,768,311

42) STACY LEWIS
ON COURSE: $1,893,423 OFF COURSE: $4,000,000 TOTAL: $5,893,423

41) HUNTER MAHAN
ON COURSE: $2,167,579 OFF COURSE: $3,750,000 TOTAL: $5,917,579

40) KEEGAN BRADLEY

 

ON COURSE: $2,167,579 OFF COURSE: $3,750,000 TOTAL: $5,917,579

39) GRAEME MCDOWELL

 

ON COURSE: $1,188,463 OFF COURSE: $4,750,000 TOTAL: $5,938,463

38) LUKE DONALD

 

ON COURSE: $1,994,152 OFF COURSE: $4,000,000 TOTAL: $5,994,152

37) CHARLEY HOFFMAN

 

ON COURSE: $4,546,129 OFF COURSE: $1,500,000 TOTAL: $6,046,129

36) PATRICK REED

 

ON COURSE: $4,321,960 OFF COURSE: $1,750,000 TOTAL: $6,071,960

35) J.B. HOLMES

 

ON COURSE: $4,369,930 OFF COURSE: $1,750,000 TOTAL: $6,119,930

34) RYO ISHIKAWA
ON COURSE: $1,134,487 OFF COURSE: $5,000,000 TOTAL: $6,134,487

33) MIGUEL A. JIMENEZ

 

ON COURSE: $1,830,883 OFF COURSE: $4,500,000 TOTAL: $6,330,883

32) LOUIS OOSTHUIZEN

 

ON COURSE: $4,110,531 OFF COURSE: $2,250,000 TOTAL: $6,360,531

31) MARTIN KAYMER
ON COURSE: $2,430,945 OFF COURSE: $4,000,000 TOTAL: $6,430,945

30) LEE WESTWOOD
ON COURSE: $1,421,011 OFF COURSE: $5,750,000 TOTAL: $7,171,011

29) FRED COUPLES

 

ON COURSE: $729,991 OFF COURSE: $6,500,000 TOTAL: $7,229,991

28) BRANDT SNEDEKER

 

ON COURSE: $3,985,556 OFF COURSE: $3,500,000 TOTAL: $7,485,556

27) DAVIS LOVE III

 

ON COURSE: $5,035,850 OFF COURSE: $2,500,000 TOTAL: $7,535,850

26) JIMMY WALKER

 

ON COURSE: $5,035,850 OFF COURSE: $2,500,000 TOTAL: $7,535,850

25) NICK FALDO

 

ON COURSE: $47,275 OFF COURSE: $7,500,000 TOTAL: $7,547,275

24) TOM WATSON

 

ON COURSE: $408,751 OFF COURSE: $7,500,000 TOTAL: $7,908,751

23) ERNIE ELS

 

ON COURSE: $521,154 OFF COURSE: $8,000,000 TOTAL: $8,521,154

22) HIDEKI MATSUYAMA

 

ON COURSE: $4,121,146 OFF COURSE: $5,000,000 TOTAL: $9,121,146

21) COLIN MONTGOMERIE
ON COURSE: $2,666,177 OFF COURSE: $6,500,000 TOTAL: $9,166,177

20) MATT KUCHAR

 

PREVIOUS RANK: 14 ON COURSE: $3,810,304 OFF COURSE: $5,500,000 TOTAL: $9,310,304

19) BERNHARD LANGER

 

ON COURSE: $3,562,370 OFF COURSE: $5,750,000 TOTAL: $9,312,370

18) ADAM SCOTT

 

ON COURSE: $1,494,529 OFF COURSE: $8,000,000 TOTAL: $9,494,529

17) JIM FURYK

 

ON COURSE: $4,112,664 OFF COURSE: $5,750,000 TOTAL: $9,862,664

16) SERGIO GARCIA

 

ON COURSE: $2,917,143 OFF COURSE: $7,500,000 TOTAL: $10,417,143

15) ZACH JOHNSON

 

ON COURSE: $5,728,154 OFF COURSE: $5,500,000 TOTAL: $11,228,154

14) GREG NORMAN

 

ON COURSE: — OFF COURSE: $12,000,000
TOTAL: $12,000,000

13) DUSTIN JOHNSON

 

ON COURSE: $6,209,467 OFF COURSE: $6,000,000 TOTAL: $12,209,467

12) HENRIK STENSON
ON COURSE: $8,513,827 OFF COURSE: $5,000,000 TOTAL: $13,513,827

11) BUBBA WATSON

 

ON COURSE: $8,289,297 OFF COURSE: $6,000,000 TOTAL: $14,289,297

10) GARY PLAYER

 

ON COURSE: — OFF COURSE: $15,000,000
TOTAL: $15,000,000

9) JUSTIN ROSE

 

ON COURSE: $7,119,762 OFF COURSE: $8,000,000 TOTAL: $15,119,762

8) RICKIE FOWLER

 

ON COURSE: $8,254,416 OFF COURSE: $9,000,000 TOTAL: $17,254,416

7) JASON DAY

 

ON COURSE: $11,938,330 OFF COURSE: $7,500,000 TOTAL: $19,438,330

6) JACK NICKLAUS
ON COURSE: $41,500 OFF COURSE: $22,000,000 TOTAL: $22,041,500

5) ARNOLD PALMER

 

ON COURSE: — OFF COURSE: $40,000,000
TOTAL: $40,000,000

4) RORY McILROY

 

ON COURSE: $9,468,190 OFF COURSE: $37,500,000 TOTAL: $46,968,190

3) TIGER WOODS
ON COURSE: $551,098 OFF COURSE: $48,000,000 TOTAL: $48,551,098

2) PHIL MICKELSON

 

ON COURSE: $2,301,730 OFF COURSE: $50,000,000 TOTAL: $52,301,730

1) JORDAN SPIETH
ON COURSE: $23,030,465 OFF COURSE: $30,000,000 TOTAL: $53,030,465