Tour News
Many Surprises Among the Top-50 Earners in Golf in 2016
We’ve come a long way from the days of Walter Hagen, when pros weren’t even allowed in the clubhouse at tour stops… or even Ben Hogan and Byron Nelson, when touring pros were still club pros when not on Tour. Such was the way the game paid until the television era. It’s not just a matter of adjusting for today’s dollars; those guys made peanuts on course.
Cruising along in Tiger Woods’ wide wake, today’s top pros can not only stack serious cash on course, but also ink lucrative endorsement deals that the Harry Vardons and James Braids of golf history could never have fathomed.
Golf Digest put together its annual rundown of the game’s top earners, which includes on-course income and an estimate of off-course earnings. Here are some highlights, and you can check out the full article here.
At number 50…well, what would you guess the No. 50 earner pocketed? It’s Padraig Harrington at more than $5 million.
World No. 1 Lydia Ko is 44th at $5.9 million, earning more off course ($3.25 million) than on ($2.69 million).
Davis Love III (No. 38) earned $6 million off the course in 2016.
Martin Kaymer (No. 35) plays on the European Tour primarily and makes six times as much off course ($6 million) as on ($1.78 million).
Miguel Angel Jimenez (No. 32) doesn’t just look like he lives the good life, he can afford to, grossing nearly $8 million last year.
Not surprisingly, few golfers inside the top-30 earned more on course than off.
Colin Montgomerie (No. 20) earned $7.5 million off the course last year.
At No. 19, Greg Norman earned $10 million off course. A little surprising it wasn’t more given the range of his business interests.
Jack Nicklaus (No. 6) and Arnold Palmer (No. 2) combined for more than $60 million in earnings.
Phil Mickelson ($33.5 million) and Tiger Woods ($34.6 million) earned nearly the same amount off course.
Rory McIlroy (No. 1) earned $17.5 million on course. He earned nearly twice that amount off ($32 million).
Again: Full article here
And here are Golf Digest’s top 10 earners
10. Gary Player: $15 million total
9. Adam Scott: $15 million total
8. Jason Day: $19.5 million total
7. Dustin Johnson: $19.7 million total
6. Jack Nicklaus: $20 million total
5. Jordan Spieth: $30.4 million total
4. Tiger Woods: $34.6 million total
3. Phil Mickelson: $37.7 million total
2. Arnold Palmer: $40 million total
1. Rory McIlroy: $49.5 million total
Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2026 Memorial Tournament
GolfWRX is on site this week at the Memorial Tournament, with both Alistair Cameron and Tour Photographer Greg Moore on the ground in Dublin, Ohio, where a strong field is assembled to pay homage to the Golden Bear.
In addition to WITB galleries, we’ve already been treated to an in-hand look at Tommy Fleetwood’s new TaylorMade Spider putters.
Check out links to all our photos below.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Jason Day – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
- Chris Gotterup – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
- SungJae Im – WITB – 2026 The Memorial
Pullout Albums
- Jason Day’s 1off Payntr golf shoes – 2026 The Memorial
- JT Poston’s TaylorMade Spider – 2026 The Memorial
- Cameron putter – 2026 The Memorial
- Tommy Fleetwood’s TM Spider putters – 2026 The Memorial
- New Mitsubishi Chemical 1K Pro Orange shaft – 2026 The Memorial
Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the ShopRite LPGA
GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore was on site in Galloway, New Jersey, ahead of the ShopRite LPGA powered by Wakefern to snap some WITB photos and more.
Check out links to all the photos below!
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Mimi Rhodes – WITB – 2026 ShopRite
- Aline Krauter – WITB – 2026 ShopRite(LPGA)
- Olivia Cowan – WITB – 2026 ShopRite
- Leah John – WITB – 2026 ShopRite(LPGA)
- Melanie Green – WITB – 2026 ShopRite
- Nastasia Nadaud – WITB – 2026 ShopRite(LPGA)
- Maria Torres – WITB – 2026 ShopRite(LPGA)
- Ana Belac – WITB – 2026 ShopRite(LPGA)
- Carolina Melgrati – WITB – 2026 ShopRite(LPGA)
- Sofia Garcia – WITB – 2026 ShopRite(LPGA)
Pullout Albums
Popular Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
The famed Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas, is the scene this week for the Charles Schwab Challenge, where Ludvig Aberg enters the week as the tournament favorite.
Tour Photographer Greg Moore and our traveling equipment insider, Alistair Cameron, are both on site this week in the Lone Star State. Thus far, we’ve been treated to an in-hand look at TaylorMade’s new ZT Max putter, as well as a bounty of WITBs.
Check out links to all our photos below.

General Albums
- 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge – Monday #1
- 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge – Monday #2
- 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge – Monday #3
- 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge – Tuesday #1
- 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge – Tuesday #2
- 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge – Tuesday #3
- 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge – Tuesday #4
- 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge – Tuesday #5
WITB Albums
- Preston Stout – OSU Men’s golf – WITB – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Marcelo Rozo – WITB – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Charley Hoffman – WITB – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Ben Kohles – WITB – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Davis Chatfield – WITB – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Albert Hansson – WITB – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Jackson Koivun – WITB – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Cam Davis – WITB – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Keith Mitchell – WITB – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen – WITB – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Kensei Hirata – WITB – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Eric Cole – WITB – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Zecheng “Marty” Dou – WITB – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Robert MacIntyre – WITB – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Matt Kuchar – WITB – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Joe Highsmith – WITB – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
Pullout Albums
- New Bettinardi covers – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- New Project X Titan Yellow shafts – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Doug Ghim’s custom Cameron putter – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Matt Kuchar’s HitsGolf training clubs – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Erik Van Rooyen’s Callaway Apex TD Ti Fusion 3 iron(updated with additional photos) – 2026 CJ Cup Byron Nelson
- Robert MacIntyre’s putters – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- JJ Spaun’s newest L.A.B. Golf putter – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Odyssey Damascus Milled Jailbird Mini broomstick – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Chris Kirk’s putters – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- Rico Hoey’s Custom Odyssey S2S Tri-Hot Jailbird broomstick putter – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge
- TaylorMade Spider ZT Max putters – 2026 Charles Schwab Challenge

See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.

Messico 9
Feb 13, 2017 at 6:46 pm
Spieth will get to number 4 this year….
After he starts charging for autographs
Charlie
Feb 14, 2017 at 10:44 am
Haha! Love this…