While the battle between LIV Golf and PGA Tour has been enticing on the course, the comparison between the golfers from both Tours has also been considered off the sport too. As the latest list of the World’s Highest Paid Athletes of 2023 by Forbes was released, two of the biggest LIV stars have made their way into the illustrious list. But despite their massive changes, the PGA Tour stars are nowhere to be found.

Though the top quality of golf has been consistent in the lucrative Tour, fans have always been in awe of the league’s exorbitant prize money. With each LIV Golf event offering $25 million in prize money, the golfers have enjoyed a stress-free life on the Saudi-funded Tour.

But apart from the on-course earnings, golfers in the breakaway Tour, also relish their signing bonuses. Fortunately, two stars, who signed the biggest deals in the new golf league, happened to be among the top richest athletes of the year.

Not PGA Tour, but LIV Golf stars among the richest in the world of sports

For the past decades, the richest athletes list released by Forbes usually included golf’s biggest spectacle, Tiger Woods. However, the golfer’s lack of participation in professional events in the last few years have also resulted in his absence from the Forbes annual Highest-Paid Athlete list.

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While this year’s list didn’t include any PGA Tour stars, it did have some of its former members. Dustin Johnson, who won the inaugural LIV Golf season, was placed as the 6th richest athlete on the list. His total earnings were reportedly $107 million, out of which only $5 million came through off the field despite losing endorsement deals with Adidas and Royal Bank of Canada.

The rest of his $102 million came through his winnings on LIV Golf. Apart from his $125 million signing bonus, Johnson won $36.6 million during the first season, including $18 million for winning the season-long individual championship. Just below DJ was listed LIV Golf’s other biggest name, Phil Mickelson. Lefty, who signed a $200 million signing bonus with the Saudi-funded Tour, is only a million behind his fellow LIV defector.

Similar to Johnson, Mickelson also lost all his endorsement deals, resulting in only $2 million in off-field earnings. However, thanks to the Saudi-funded Tour, Phil has earned $104 million, mounting his total earnings for 2023 to $106 million. While two of the biggest LIV Golf players have represented the sport of golf in the enriched list of athletes, PGA Tour players were nowhere to be found. Is the Tour making any changes to counter their nemesis?

PGA Tour’s attempt to tackle LIV Golf’s big offering

Above Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson, only five athletes had better earnings. It included LeBron James, Canelo Alvarez, and stars from the soccer world Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, and Kylian Mbappe. With the declining number of PGA Tour players in the Forbes highest-paid athlete list, the Tour has taken certain measures to help their golfers.

The American Tour has increased its prize money from the 2022-23 season by announcing 17 ‘elevated events’ that provide an average of $20 million prize money. However, the Tour still lags behind the LIV Golf League with its 9-figure signing bonuses. As the Saudi-funded Tour looks to further broaden its wings, we may see more defectors on future Forbes lists.

But with the PGA Tour further increasing prize money and promising endorsement deals, there may be slight chances of seeing an American Tour player in a Forbes list in the future. What are your thoughts on Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson’s making it into the Forbes list? Let us know in the comment section below.

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