Five LIV golfers in top 20 of Forbes Sports list

Dustin Johnson is the highest-ranked golfer on Forbes Sports List 2023.

Dustin Johnson is the highest-earning golfer on Forbes Sports List for 2023, which features seven LIV players and the most golfers ever!

Forbes have released their top 50 Sports List for 2023 which features 12 golfers in total, including seven from LIV Golf, with five in the top 20.  

This year there are four times as many golfers in the Forbes Sports List top 50 than last year when only three golfers making the cut. In 2023 there has been a surge of LIV golfers in the list with Forbes estimating the seven rebels earned $499m in the last year.

The highest-ranked golfer is LIV Golf’s Dustin Johnson in 6th place who has made an estimated $107 million over the last 12 months (find out how much every LIV Golfer has been paid). World No.1 Scottie Scheffler sits 45^th and is estimated to have made $47.1 million in the same period.  

Other LIV golfers who made the list – and top 20 – are Phil Mickelson (7), Cameron Smith (17), Brooks Koepka (18) and Bryson DeChambeau (20). Every LIV golfer in the top 20 is estimated to have earned more than 2022’s highest-earning golfer, Tiger Woods, who was ranked 14^th last year having earned an estimated $68 million over the 12-month period. Patrick Reed (32) and Sergio Garcia (46) are found further down the list but still in the top 50. 

There are five non-LIV golfers in the list, with Rory McIlroy (16) one place above Tiger (17). Rory and Tiger are the only two non-LIV golfers to make the top 20 with both estimated to have earned more than the 15-time Major champion did in 2022. Masters champion Jon Rahm (28) and three-time Major champion Jordan Spieth (43), alongside Scheffler, make up the five.

Of the 12 golfers, only Tiger Woods has earned more money off the course than he has on it ($60m to $15.1m).

Golf has the second most sportspeople in the top 50 only behind NBA who have 15 players on the list. The podium consists of footballers with Cristiano Ronaldo occupying the No.1 spot, Lionel Messi the runner-up and Kylian Mbappe having to settle for bronze.

Full Forbes Sports List 2023 

1. Cristiano Ronaldo ($136m, above) Football 
2. Lionel Messi ($130m) Football 
3. Kylian Mbappe ($120m) Football 
4. LeBron James ($119.5m) Basketball 
5. Canelo Alvarez ($110m) Boxing 
6. Dustin Johnson ($107m) Golf 
7. Phil Mickelson ($106m) Golf 
8. Stephen Curry ($100.4m) Basketball 
9. Roger Federer ($95.1m) Tennis 
10. Kevin Durant ($89.1m) Basketball 
11. Giannis Antetokounmpo ($87.6m) Basketball 
12. Neymar ($85m) Football 
12. Russell Wilson ($85m) NFL 
14. Russell Westbrook ($82.1m) NFL 
15. Rory McIlroy ($80.8m) Golf 
16. Tiger Woods ($75.1m) Golf 
17. Cameron Smith ($73m) Golf 
18. Brooks Koepka ($72m) Golf 
19. Kyler Murray ($70.5m) NFL 
20. Bryson DeChambeau ($69m) Golf 
21. Lewis Hamilton ($65m) F1 
22. Max Verstappen ($64m) F1 
23. Klay Thompson ($60.9m) NFL 
24. Patrick Mahomes ($59.3m) NFL 
25. Damian Lillard ($58.6m) Basketball 
26. Max Scherzer ($56.7m) Baseball 
27. James Harden ($55.1m) Basketball 
28. Anthony Joshua ($53m) Boxing 
28. Jon Rahm ($53m) Golf 
28. Aaron Rodgers ($53m) NFL 
28. Mohamed Salah ($53m) Football 
32. Erling Haaland ($52m) Football 
32. Patrick Reed ($52m) Golf 
34. Paul George ($51.5m) Basketball 
35. Kawhi Leonard ($50.5m) Basketball 
36. Bradley Beal ($49.8m) Basketball 
37. Derek Carr ($48.9m) NFL 
38. Orlando Brown, Jr. ($48.6m) NFL 
39. Aaron Donald ($48.5m) NFL 
40. Anthony Davis ($48m) Basketball 
41. Jimmy Butler ($47.8m) Basketball 
41. John Wall ($47.8m) Basketball 
43. Jordan Spieth ($47.5m) Golf 
44. Luka Doncic ($47.2m) Basketball 
45. Scottie Scheffler ($47.1m) Golf 
46. Sergio Garcia ($46m) Golf 
46. Dak Prescott ($46m) NFL 
48. Deshaun Watson ($45.8m) NFL 
49. Serena Williams ($45.3m) Tennis 
50. Tom Brady ($45.2m) NFL 

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