Jon Rahm has topped Forbes‘ list of the highest-paid golfers in the world for the third consecutive year, pulling in $111 million in total earnings over the past 12 months.
Per Forbes, $101 million of that figure came from on-course earnings, driven in large part by Rahm’s contract with LIV Golf, which has been estimated to be worth $300 million. The Spaniard has said publicly he does not “see many ways out” of the deal and still has “several years” remaining on it.
Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy round out the top three at $79 million and $77 million, respectively. Forbes notes that Scheffler generated the bulk of his money on the course at $49 million, while McIlroy led all players in off-course earnings at $50 million.
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Bryson DeChambeau checks in at fourth on the list with $52 million. His contract negotiations with LIV reportedly remain ongoing. Tiger Woods is fifth at $46 million, with Forbes estimating just $1 million of that came from on-course performance, stemming from his TGL team’s runner-up finish. Woods has not made an official PGA Tour start since the 2024 Open Championship due to injury and personal matters.
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The list comes with significant uncertainty hanging over LIV Golf’s future. Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund has withdrawn financial backing from the league, which is now pursuing private investors. Bloomberg reported last month that LIV could potentially file for bankruptcy.
2026 Forbes Highest Paid Golfers
1. Jon Rahm — $111M | On-Course: $101M | Off-Course: $10M
2. Scottie Scheffler — $79M | On-Course: $49M | Off-Course: $30M
3. Rory McIlroy — $77M | On-Course: $27M | Off-Course: $50M
4. Bryson DeChambeau — $52M | On-Course: $42M | Off-Course: $10M
5. Tiger Woods — $46M | On-Course: $1M | Off-Course: $45M
6. Tommy Fleetwood — $36M | On-Course: $27M | Off-Course: $9M
7. Hideki Matsuyama — $34M | On-Course: $32M | Off-Course: $2M
7. Joaquin Niemann — $34M | On-Course: $32M | Off-Course: $2M
7. Xander Schauffele — $34M | On-Course: $14M | Off-Course: $20M
10. Collin Morikawa — $33M | On-Course: $15M | Off-Course: $18M
