Is Tiger Woods a Billionaire? His Total Career Earnings Make Him One of the Highest-Paid Athletes in the World The decorated pro golfer told fans he would be sitting out the third Major this month.
By Emily Rella
Whether or not you're familiar with the sport of golf, Tiger Woods is recognizable as arguably one of the most famous athletes of our time.
A decorated champion with a decorated personal life, Woods has secured his name among the greats since his career began as a professional golfer in 1996.
Woods made his triumphant return in 2022 to Augusta National Golf Course this past April to play in the Masters, one of Golf's four annual Majors that are played out in career-making tournaments for both novice and seasoned pros.
Woods finished in 47th place during this year's Masters, a disappointing result but an admirable feat given that during the tournament in 2021, Woods was in the hospital as a result of a horrific car crash sustaining multiple injuries.
Fans have been excited about Woods' comeback tour to Majors golf, but it looks like their dreams may have been temporarily suspended on Tuesday when Woods announced that he would not be playing in the 2022 US Open, the third of the four tournaments.
"My body needs more time to get stronger for major championship golf," the athlete told fans on Twitter, noting that he does plan to play in Ireland's JP McManus Pro-Am and The Open at St. Andrew's, both set to take place in July. "I'm excited to get back out there soon!"
Although fans were disappointed they wouldn't see Woods play at the U.S. Open in Brookline, Mass., the decorated athlete doesn't need the prize money. His total career earnings make Woods one of the highest-paid athletes in the world.
Is Tiger Woods a billionaire?
Woods has had an extremely lucrative career over the past 26 years, earning millions from endorsements and tournament wins to other side projects that have put him among the highest-earning athletes in the world. In fact, Woods was the highest-paid athlete in the world, per Forbes, for a whopping decade straight, from 2002 to 2012.
In June 2022, according to Forbes, Woods officially reached billionaire status, joining Michael Jordan and LeBron James in the elite cadre of billionaire athletes. He's made a reported $1.7 billion since his career began, and today Tiger Woods' net worth is an estimated $1 billion.
Woods has won more than 15 Major tournaments and 81 PGA Tours as well as boasting the lowest scoring average of any professional golfer of all time.
It's estimated that more than 90% of Woods' total earnings come from endorsement and sponsorship deals with major athletic brands, notably Nike, Gatorade (which was worth $100 million split over a five year period) and Gillette, which reportedly earned him $20 million per year.
So whether Woods swings his club at this year's U.S. Open or not, missing the tournament is unlikely to affect his bank account.
