Phil Mickelson’s reign as top LIV Golf earner is now over, and he’s been drastically overtaken by Jon Rahm who’s signed a blockbuster contract he’s risking the Ryder Cup for
LIV Golf have secured one of the biggest golfers on the planet, as Jon Rahm signed a record deal worth upwards of £450 million.
The Masters winner became the most recent player to abandon the PGA Tour in favor of the Saudi-backed league, having previously stated he had no interest in joining LIV. The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) provided funding for a number of elite golfers who accepted sizable financial offers to quit the PGA Tour in 2022.
Phil Mickelson had the largest LIV contract prior to Rahm signing, but in addition to pay and joining bonuses, players can win enormous sums of money depending on how well they perform in tournaments. Rahm is risking his future Ryder Cup spot in order to more than double the earnings of the previous top earner.
Before I joined, the Ryder Cup was the biggest obstacle for me, Rahm said on Thursday night. “The cash is excellent. It’s fantastic, but my previous statement is accurate. I don’t play golf for financial gain. I play golf because I enjoy the game and the game itself, but I also play it because I have a responsibility to my family as a husband, father, and family man to provide them with the best opportunities and resources available.
However, my objective is to improve golf in any way I can in order to grow the game. Although I have ambition, I don’t have greed. I understand that I can’t have everything, so I’ll have to give up some things, but for now, that seems like one I can live without.”
LIV went all out with an offer that Rahm couldn’t refuse after his hesitation, but it’s unclear if that will cause problems with the players who have already signed. The remaining five largest contracts in LIV are shown to you here by Mirror Sport.
Phil Mickelson – $200m (£160m)
On June 6, 2022, 53-year-old Mickelson inked the largest contract in LIV history; however, the correct numbers weren’t found for several months. When fans discovered that Mickelson was making far more money than initially thought, they discovered that he was the highest paid player off the course.
Dustin Johnson $125m (£100m)
Dustin Johnson was one of the first major golfers to switch to LIV, having signed a multi-year contract worth £100 million five days before Mickelson’s deal. The former World No. 1 set his own price and became the highest earner from LIV tournament winnings in 2022 by finishing first.
Bryson DeChambeau $125m (£100m)
In an effort to maintain LIV’s June acquisition of top golfers, Bryson Dechambeau and Johnson inked identical contracts on June 10. DeChambeau has only won one major tournament, the U.S. Open, in 2020, where he defeated fellow LIV player Matthew Wolff by two strokes. He has won twice in LIV Golf.
Brooks Koepka $100m (£80m)
One of the main players in the LIV golf scene, Brooks Koepka, captain of the Smash GC team, recently traded Wolff to RangeGoats GC, which is led by Bubba Watson. On June 22, 2022, Koepka consented to sign with LIV and keeps getting better at the game of golf. In the most recent Masters, Koepka came in second to Rahm; in 2023, he won the PGA Championship.
Cameron Smith $100m (£80m)
One of the later-arriving stars to sign with LIV was Australian golfer Cameron Smith, who did not exchange contracts until August of 2022. However, he accepted a healthy payment and is currently tied for fourth place among tour earners after matching Koepka’s offer to leave the PGA Tour and change allegiances.
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