It was competition that sparked a civil war in professional golf.
Funded by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, organizers of the LIV Golf Series pledged $2 billion in the new venture which has unsurprisingly caught the attention of many golfers, despite being run by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the man the CIA believes ordered. the murder of dissident journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018.
Some big names – Phil Mickelson, Dustin Johnson, Sergio Garcia and others – have already moved on, costing them their place on the PGA Tour even though they were part of this weekend’s US Open. Other top players, including Rickie Fowler and Bubba Watson, would soon join LIV.
New reports claim that four-time Major Championship winner Brooks Koepka (whose younger brother Chase has already signed with LIV) could also change. If so, he will surely get as much, if not more, than any other player so far.
And the numbers have been mind-boggling. Mickelson reportedly got $200 million, and Johnson reportedly reached a $125 million settlement with LIV. Even that lower number is more than Tiger Woods has earned in prize money in his career.
But not everyone is tempted.
For players like Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy, jumping ship is a sign of little more than shameless greed. “I just don’t see the point of tarnishing a reputation for millions more,” he suggested.
However, for golfers who jumped ship, that’s clearly not a problem.
The only question, really, will they ever have enough money?
Phil Michaelson
PRE-LIV net worth? : $400 million
Total PGA Tour earnings: $95 million
LIV Agreement: $200 million
Despite calling his Saudi paymasters “scary sons,” Mickelson signed LIV in the biggest deal ever in a breakaway competition.
It’s a payday for the 52-year-old, especially as he is a shadow of the player he once was.
But it will certainly keep you in the lifestyle you have grown accustomed to.
From Bentley Continentals to Aston Martins, Mickelson has long enjoyed the finer things in life: He even owned a $40 million Gulfstream V jet, before selling it in 2019.
But it’s his more left-leaning purchases that give the best idea of what he’s doing with his millions. Mickelson, who lost the endorsement of Workday, KPMG, Heineken and Callaway for his comments on Saudi Arabia, not only owns a part of a meteorite that crashed in Argentina in the 1930s, but also a Tyrannosaurus rex skull, calling it “the coolest thing I’ve ever had”.
He and his wife, Amy, and their three children live in a $7 million mansion in Rancho Santa Fe, California, but will soon be moving to a house Mickelson is building on Jupiter Island, Florida, where neighbors will include Tiger Woods. Michael Jordan and Dustin Johnson
But there may be another reason for Mickelson’s cash theft.
In the bio of a new player, Phil: The heartbreaking (and unauthorized!) biography of golf’s most colorful superstar, Author Alan Shipnuck reveals that the golfer gambled around $40 million between 2010 and 2014.
“Mickelson’s love of the game is critical to understanding his style of play as a golfer,” he writes. “It could also explain the Saudi seduction.”
Dustin Johnson
Net worth before LIV: $50 million
Total PGA Tour earnings: $74.2 million
LIV deal: $125 million to $150 million
Sports industry insiders Sportico rank Dustin Johnson third behind Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson as the highest-paid golf player, estimating the 37-year-old earned $40.8 million between June 2020 and May. of 2021, a figure that includes about $16 million in appearance fees. sponsorships and sponsorships with companies like TaylorMade, RBC, Perfect Practice and BodyArmor.
And he certainly likes to show off his money.
In November 2021, Johnson and his wife of 33 years, Paulina Gretzky, who share two young children, moved into a $14 million Florida mansion in Jupiter Island’s exclusive Admiral’s Cove. The 10,134-square-foot home features an infinity pool and private moorings for two yachts: a $4 million 41 Bahama and a 76 Viking Sportfish.
In 2018, Johnson’s agent, David Winkle, revealed that the player was obsessed with designer clothes.
“He probably has 30 suits that cost three, four, five thousand dollars each,” he told Golf.com. “Prada, Dolce & Gabbana, whatever.”
The king of bling also has hundreds of pairs of Adidas sneakers and 15 Hublot watches, some of which he no doubt got for free through an endorsement deal, but admitted in 2021 that he still had “one more”. little more in the store, I have to go up.
Bryson de Chambereau
Net worth before LIV: $10 million
Total PGA Tour earnings: $26 million
LIV fee: $100 million
While Dustin Johnson said he moved to LIV for the good of his family, Bryson DeChambeau admitted it was a “business decision, first and foremost,” which is the closest thing to saying he’s just doing it for the money.
It’s not like a few pennies are missing.
His sprawling home in Dallas, Texas includes a full gym, a spacious game room for playing FortNite, and a state-of-the-art golf simulation room where he can perfect his swing. The 28-year-old, who is dating Sophia Phalen Bertolami, also plans to build a practice field and multi-sport complex for baseball, basketball and tennis on the 52-acre lot.
As one of the biggest and most controversial players in the game, DeChambeau has certainly benefited from his profile, securing deals with Bose, Rolex, Bentley and NetJets.
He also had a lucrative deal with Rocket Mortgage, but they dumped DeChambeau after the latest controversy.
“Bryson has chosen to join the LIV Golf Series,” a company statement said. “Effective immediately, Rocket Mortgage has terminated its endorsement agreement with Bryson.”
sergio garcia
Net worth before LIV: $70 million
Total PGA Tour earnings: $54 million
LIV deal: undisclosed
Sergio Garcia may have 11 PGA Tour wins to his name, but the Spaniard hasn’t finished in the top 20 in a major since ‘El Nino’ won his only major at the 2017 Masters.
But as a Ryder Cup legend, he could have jumped at his chance to captain the European team. bye.
However, you will make money in an event that is not as competitive as the PGA Tour and yet much more lucrative.
Garcia’s personal portfolio includes homes in Orlando, Florida; the Swiss ski resort of Crans-Montana; his hometown in Castellón, Spain; and a new 11,000-square-foot mansion she just bought in Austin, Texas. He is married to his wife, Angela, and has two children.
With his properties scattered throughout, it’s lucky that Garcia also owns a $22 million Hawker 4000 business jet with an aisle long enough to practice his putt while in the air.
“For me, an airplane is like a car for someone else who goes to work,” he once told Business Jet Traveller.
Ian Chicken
Net worth before LIV: $60 million
Total PGA Tour earnings: $27.9 million
LIV fee: $20-30 million
Ian Poulter may not have won a major title in his 27-year professional career, but to European golf fans it will forever be known as the ‘Mr Ryder Cup’ after some memorable performances at the ‘event’.
Since arriving in the United States in 2005, the Englishman has amassed nearly $30 million in PGA Tour earnings alone. His endorsements with Mastercard, Mutual of Omaha and Nikon helped increase his net worth to $60 million.
His mansion – shared with his wife Katie and their four children – on the Lake Nona, Florida, golfers’ playground, is not so much a family home as it is a car showroom for his collection of luxury and classic cars.
At one point, Poulter reportedly owned 14 rare Ferraris, as well as a Mercedes AMG GTS, Mercedes G63, Ford G, and Porsche 911 GT2.
At least the LIV money will serve to fill the tanks.
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