Giant LIV contracts shake up Forbes’ list of richest athletes

No athlete made an even bigger leap in Forbes’ annual World’s Highest-Paid Athletes ranking than Jon Rahm. We’ll provide you with one guess why.

Rahm, the 29-year-old Spaniard, got here in at No. 2 on the just lately launched list, along with his complete earnings over the previous 12 months estimated at $218 million. According to Forbes, $198 million of that got here from his on-course earnings/contracts, whereas $20 million got here off the course via issues corresponding to endorsements.

To compile its rating, Forbes tracked earnings from May 1, 2023, to May 1, 2024. For LIV gamers who obtained assured contracts, Forbes calculated these sums through conversations with business sources and estimated that prime LIV gamers obtained half of their ensures upfront, with remaining signing bonus cash to be paid via the course of the contracts.

Soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo topped the list, with $260 million in earnings.

Rahm, who wasn’t on final yr’s rating, shocked the golf world when he signed with LIV Golf in December of final yr. While specifics of the deal haven’t been made public, it’s been beforehand reported that the quantity was at the least $300 million over a number of years. Rahm received 4 instances on the PGA Tour from January 2023 to April 2023, which included the Masters for his second main title. He formally earned $16.5 million in prize cash on the PGA Tour final season. Forbes list his sponsors for that point interval as Callaway, Mercedes-Benz, Rolex and Santander Group.

Rahm has but to win since he’s moved to LIV Golf, however he hasn’t completed worse than tenth in his seven begins. He’s completed third twice.

In his two main appearances since becoming a member of LIV, Rahm tied for forty fifth on the Masters and was lower finally week’s PGA Championship.

Rahm was one of 5 golfers on the Forbes’ top-50 list, which included Rory McIlroy (nineteenth, $80.1 million complete), Tiger Woods (twenty third, $67.2 million), Scottie Scheffler (twenty ninth, $59.2 million) and Cameron Smith (forty third, $48 million).

Smith, like Rahm, left the PGA Tour for LIV. Smith received the 2022 Open Championship at St. Andrews, then signed with LIV on the finish of the PGA Tour season. Smith’s signing bonus has been rumored to be 9 figures.

In Forbes’ 2023 list launched final yr, Dustin Johnson (No. 6, $107 million) and Phil Mickelson (No. 7, $106 million) — contemporary off their offers with LIV — had been the one golfers ranked within the prime 10. Last yr was additionally the primary time in six years Woods wasn’t ranked because the world’s highest-paid golfer.

A possible merger between the PGA Tour and the Saudi PIF, which funds LIV Golf, has made little progress over the past yr. Rahm missed the lower at Valhalla final week, however he did create headlines — and was closely criticized by Golf Channel analysts — when he stated he nonetheless considers himself a member of the PGA Tour.

“I’m still a PGA Tour member, whether suspended or not,” Rahm stated final Tuesday. “I still want to support the PGA Tour and I think that’s an important distinction to make. I don’t feel like I’m on the other side. I’m just not playing there.”

Josh Berhow

Golf.com Editor

As GOLF.com’s managing editor, Berhow handles the day-to-day and long-term planning of one of the game’s most-read information and repair web sites. He spends most of his days writing, modifying, planning and questioning if he’ll ever break 80. Before becoming a member of GOLF.com in 2015, he labored at newspapers in Minnesota and Iowa. A graduate of Minnesota State University in Mankato, Minn., he resides within the Twin Cities along with his spouse and two children. You can attain him at joshua_berhow@golf.com.