Woods leads golfers on Forbes 'rich list'

Cape Town - Former world number one Tiger Woods hasn’t lifted any silverware since 2013, but he is still laughing all the way to the bank.

Forbes released their highest paid athletes list this week, with Floyd “Money” Mayweather topping the pops.

Woods is a way off, down in 16th with $43.3 million, but still leads the way amongst golfers. With sponsorship deals from the likes of Nike, Rolex, Bridgestone and TaylorMade, to name a few, it’s not hard to see why.

The next golfer on the list is fellow veteran Phil Mickelson, coming in at 22nd with $41.3 million. He’s followed closely by three-time major winner Jordan Spieth in 23rd ($41.2 million) and Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy in 26th, the only non-American golfer on the list.

Justin Thomas fought his way onto the list through sheer earnings. The world number one banked a cool $21 million in tournament payouts to go with his $5 million worth of endorsements, earning him 66th place.