'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wgARCAAHAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIH/8QAFQEBAQAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQT/2gAMAwEAAhADEAAAAM6ggP/EACEQAAEBBwUAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMCAAEEBgcREhUlVKTS/9oACAEBAAE/AF0SnoZjQ2jAzIjlhs5kUKnzF2x9yG9N/8QAFxEAAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAIRFP/aAAgBAgEBPwDQ0P/EABYRAAMAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAABAv/aAAgBAwEBPwBSf//Z'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Phil Mickelson might be the most notable golfer to have defected to LIV Golf. He was one of the premier golfers on the PGA Tour and has been for a long time, so his choice to move on was definitely harmful to the Tour.
As with many golfers, the financial situation was better with LIV Golf. Their signing bonuses were immense as the new league tried everything they could to entice golfers to leave their current situation.
The decision to do so has come with a lot of vitriol for the golfers who left the PGA Tour, so the money had to be a big reason why they left for them to willingly endure that.
Mickelson, being as famous as he is, was offered a $200 million signing bonus. Tiger Woods reportedly turned down a deal from LIV that was worth roughly $800 million, but otherwise, his bonus is one of the largest they've handed out.
As such, he's probably doing as well, if not better, financially than his LIV counterparts. How much else has he made from the league this year?
What Phil Mickelson earned in LIV tournaments
In Mickelson's first LIV event, he placed 33rd, which only earned him a paltry $15,000. In his first tournament in America, the golfer earned a lot more. Even with a 40th place finish, he earned $133,000.
He followed that up with 35th and 40th place finishes, which earned him $146,000 and $134,000, respectively.
In Chicago, Mickelson earned his first top-ten finish, which certainly earned him a hefty payday. That performance landed him $576,250. In Bangkok, he earned $233,600. He placed 15th to earn that.
At Jeddah, Lefty finished 35th. That earned him $144,000. The final event of the year was the team championship, but since his team was ousted by Cameron Smith's team early enough, he won't earn anything.
Thus, in 2022, the first year of the new golf league, he earned a total of $1,516,850. That impressively comes without a single top five finish and many finishes outside the top 30.
Clearly, the money is really good in LIV Golf since the golfer earned so much without even sniffing a win.
What is Phil Mickelson's net worth?
The earnings he took home in 2022 helped the golfer become the highest paid golfer of the year. Even players who routinely won or placed well on the PGA Tour didn't outearn him.
Deemples estimates that his net worth is an astonishing $400 million, and that is arguably largely aided by LIV Golf. That was in September, so it's possible that it's risen a bit since then.
For comparison, LIV Golf CEO Greg Norman's net worth is $500 million. Mickelson is the fourth richest golfer of all time behind Norman, Arnold Palmer, and Woods, whose net worth recently surpassed $1 billion.
The more time he spends on LIV Golf, the more money Lefty will likely make, so he could continue to rise up that leaderboard and become one of the richest golfers ever.
