LIV Golf stars’ earnings from Saudi-backed tour as Jon Rahm takes £64m | Golf | Sport

LIV Golf has paid eye-watering sums to its top players since launching in 2021. The breakaway league, which began its first season the following year, sent shockwaves through golf as the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund backed the project and successfully managed to lure star names away from the PGA Tour with lucrative deals.

There have been reports that the PIF could be set to withdraw funding, which would threaten LIV’s existence. The upcoming LIV event in Mexico City, scheduled to begin on Thursday, is set to go ahead. While there are doubts surrounding the league’s long-term future, a number of stars, including two-time major winner Jon Rahm, have received huge financial rewards since deciding to swap the PGA for LIV.

A record of LIV’s all-time top earners sees Rahm top the money list with £64.7million. The Spanish golfer controversially joined the league in December 2023 and has won three individual events.

Golf Week reports that the 31-year-old earned a remarkable £24.3m last year through prize money and other bonus fees. In terms of the all-time list, Joaquin Niemann sits in second place with £52.8m.

The Chilean is narrowly followed by Taylor Gooch (£50.7m) in third place and Dustin Johnson (£47.3m) in fourth. Two-time US Open winner Bryson DeChambeau completes the top five with a huge £43.1m in earnings.

Cameron Smith (£37.5m) and Sergio Garcia (£34.2m) are also in the top 10. Meanwhile, Branden Grace (£29m) sits between Brooks Koepka (£32.9m) and Patrick Reed (£27.6m) on the list, who have both since decided to leave LIV Golf.

The message read: “I want to be crystal clear: Our season continues exactly as planned, uninterrupted and at full throttle. While the media landscape is often filled with speculation, our reality is defined by the work we do on the grass. We are heading into the heart of our 2026 schedule with the full energy of an organisation that is bigger, louder, and more influential than ever before.”