Phil Mickelson suffers LIV Golf reality check despite £155m contract in Tiger Woods comparison
Phil Mickelson has enjoyed a stellar career, earning enormous sums of money on and off the course, but even in the wake of his huge LIV Golf contract, he continues to lag behind Tiger Woods
Phil Mickelson had a forgettable weekend at the recent LIV Golf tournament.
Away from the tournament, he is falling behind his longtime rival Tiger Woods.
Mickelson placed second to last in Hong Kong over the weekend, following a disastrous 10-over-par start on Friday, which halted his momentum from a sixth-place finish in Saudi Arabia the week before.
Despite improving over the last 36 holes, Mickelson’s final score of eight-over was only superior to Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent in a tough weekend in the Far East for the six-time major winner.
The golfer who predominantly uses their left hand is struggling to find their top performance as they approach their 54th birthday in June, with diminishing chances of winning another major championship.
They are trying out a different putter in an attempt to improve, but so far, they have had a challenging start to the LIV season, placing 51st and 30th in the Mayakoba and Las Vegas tournaments to begin the season.
Mickelson can be content with his achievements regardless of how the rest of his career plays out, but his US Open and career grand slam dreams remain unfulfilled. Off the course, however, Mickelson remains big business, ranking as one of the top-earning athletes in 2023.
As per Forbes, Mickelson was ranked as the seventh top-paid athlete globally in the previous year, earning $104 million (£81m), primarily from endorsements after securing a lucrative deal worth around $200m (£155m) with LIV Golf in 2022.
“In 2023, Mickelson’s financial situation improved significantly, but he still falls short of his longtime rival Woods when it comes to total career earnings, according to Sportico’s list of the top 50 highest-paid athletes of all time.” Tiger Woods ranked second on the list of athletes with highest career earnings adjusted for inflation, with a total of $2.66 billion.
The only person ahead of him on the list is NBA legend Michael Jordan. Also featured on the list are golf icons Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus, who placed fourth and sixth, surpassing other popular athletes such as Lionel Messi, David Beckham, Roger Federer, and Floyd Mayweather.
Mickelson was placed 11th with career earnings of $1.43b when adjusted for inflation, still behind Woods. Greg Norman, the LIV Golf commissioner, ranked 15th with earnings of $1.06b, which includes income from the Saudi Arabia-backed tour, his clothing line, and designing golf courses.
Rory McIlroy, Ernie Els, and Gary Player are also among the top 50 golfers, each accumulating over $600 million in career earnings.
McIlroy, who is 34 years old, is expected to continue rising in the rankings with at least a decade of competitive play still ahead of him.
The PGA Tour’s decision to provide ownership stakes to its players following a $3 billion investment from Strategic Sports Group, which was revealed earlier this year, will greatly enhance McIlroy’s ability to earn more money.
