Rory McIlroy is on the brink of an unprecedented financial milestone in golf. Trailing only Tiger Woods, the Northern Irish golfer is poised to be the second player ever to cross the $100 million mark in career earnings on the PGA Tour.
This monumental achievement follows McIlroy’s triumph in the Players Championship, which has propelled his career earnings to an impressive $99,709,062. This not only puts him ahead of Phil Mickelson, who has earned $96,685,635, but also positions him as the next potential challenger to Tiger Woods’ financial dominance in the sport.
Tiger Woods, the legendary golfer who revolutionized the sport and attracted a host of new fans, remains at the summit of this unique leaderboard with his career earnings standing at $120,999,166. However, given the substantial growth in prize money in recent years, partly due to the financial influence of the Arab Super League, McIlroy may well overtake Woods in the future.
In just the first few months of 2025, McIlroy has already pocketed a cool $8.7 million, accounting for nearly 9% of his total PGA Tour career earnings. This underscores the escalating profitability of professional golf and highlights the potential for McIlroy to surpass Woods’ earnings record.
Eldrick Tont Woods, more famously known as Tiger Woods, was born on December 30, 1975, in Cypress, California. As one of the greatest golfers in history, Woods has not only made his mark with his exceptional athletic prowess but also through his ability to draw new audiences to the sport.
Woods’ impressive golfing career was ignited at an early age, leading to outstanding performances across all junior categories. His extraordinary skills were recognized long before he turned professional in the late summer of 1996. Less than a year later, he clinched his first major tournament win at the 1997 Masters, subsequently becoming the world number one.
While the 2000s saw Woods dominate the golfing scene, he also had to grapple with physical challenges related to his knees and back. Despite these setbacks, he innovatively reinvented his golfing style.
Off the course, Woods became an iconic figure in the commercial world, securing a series of high-paying contracts, most notably with sportswear giant Nike. Despite personal scandals that tarnished his reputation in 2009, Woods remained one of the wealthiest athletes of the 2000s.
In a remarkable comeback, at the age of 43, Woods clinched his fifth Masters and 15th career major title at Augusta in April 2019, a whole eleven years after his last major victory. For his contributions to the sport, he was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, America’s highest civilian honor, by President Donald Trump in May 2019. Woods was also inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame on March 8, 2022.
As Rory McIlroy edges closer to the $100 million career earnings milestone, the world of golf eagerly anticipates the next chapter in this compelling financial rivalry.