Five most successful LIV golfers from 2022

LIV Golf has quickly become a legitimate force in the golf world. They're attempting to challenge the status quo of the golf world and shake the game up. Other golf leagues have tried this, but this latest challenge feels different. LIV Golf has been successful and if nothing else, it has rattled the PGA Tour.

Part of the reason for their success is the money behind it. The biggest reason, arguably, is the status of golfers who've decided to join them. Led by some of the biggest names in the sport, the league has become extremely popular.

Here are the 5 most successful of those golfers from 2022.

#5 Phil Mickelson

Phil Mickelson has been LIV Golf's spokesperson

Phil Mickelson hasn't had a stellar year in golf. He's past his prime and not able to do what he used to. However, he had a very successful year in one aspect: finances.

He was reportedly given a $200 million signing bonus for joining the league, and he earned over $1.5 million from his performances this year.

It wasn't a solid year as he didn't win any competitions, but it ended up probably being the best year of his life in other ways.

#4 Brooks Koepka

Brooks Koepka defected from the PGA Tour

Brooks Koepka currently finds himself ranked number 49th. LIV doesn't count for the rankings, so the fact that he's still in the top 50 and thus would qualify for the Masters in 2023 shows how strong of a year he had prior to turning it over to a new league.

LIV hasn't managed to poach a ton of the top golfers in the world, but Koepka is one of the best.

#3 Dustin Johnson

Dustin Johnson won the team championship

Dustin Johnson is ranked 41st, so he would also qualify for the Masters. He has performed very well in the first go with his new league and has become an integral player for them.

He's slid in the rankings and dropped out of the top 40 since he hasn't done any official events, but he still had an excellent year.

Plus, his team won the Team Championship in Miami, which caps off everything for him.

#2 Talor Gooch

Talor Gooch is ranked 40th, just sliding ahead of Johnson. He was also playing arguably the best golf of his life prior to transitioning over. He quickly became a fire-starter for the league and didn't shy away from conflict. Despite potential distractions as a result, he put together a good year.

Gooch was also on the team with Johnson that won the Team Championships.

#1 Cameron Smith

No LIV Golfer is playing better than Cameron Smith, which also makes his decision to jump ship a bit more puzzling. He is currently ranked third in the OWGR, which meant that he had a legitimate shot at taking the leaderboard from Scottie Scheffler or Rory McIlroy. Instead, he moved over to LIV Golf and continued playing incredibly well.

Note: This article is subjective and reflects the views of the author.