The three best male golfers in the game right now are enjoying a constant battle. That fight involves trying to win the most titles and earn the biggest checks, and it's a contest that LIV Golf's Joaquin Niemann is currently leading.
Despite being the reigning Masters champion and a two-time PGA Tour winner this season, Rory McIlroy is third on the list heading into August.
He might have surprisingly missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open, but his 2025 season otherwise has been incredible - topped off by completing the career Grand Slam at The Masters.
Largely thanks to victories at Augusta - as well as TPC Sawgrass (The Players) and Pebble Beach for the eponymous Pro-Am - the World No.2 has collected roughly $16.56 million since January.
And yet, that only puts him third behind Scheffler, with the World No.1 scooping circa $19.20 million courtesy of two Major triumphs (PGA Championship and The Open) plus wins at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, and the Memorial Tournament.
A relatively slow start to the campaign following a hand injury means Scheffler has not earned even more money by now, but it remains a mind-blowing total nevertheless.
However, both PGA Tour stars trail the top earner in the LIV Golf League, Niemann after the 26-year-old surpassed the $20 million mark in late July thanks to his fifth win of the year.
The Chilean opened up his season with a T3rd at the Asian Tour's International Series India, where he picked up $113,000, before setting about alternating wins and results outside the top-10 on the PIF-backed circuit.
Adelaide, Singapore, Mexico City and Virginia all hosted Niemann victories this term and tallied $16 million in winnings before any other other performances were taken into account.
Of Niemann's other notable pay checks, his T8th at the PGA Championship was worth nearly $455,000 and a best non-win result of the season so far - a T12th in Hong Kong - earned him $312,500.
Niemann's 2025 total took another $4 million bump recently after he recorded his fifth LIV win of the season at JCB Golf and Country Club in England.
The Torque GC captain was comfortably in front throughout most of the action in England, but despite seeing a monstrous lead reduced significantly by Bubba Watson, the American was unable to produce a minor miracle and Niemann comfortably held on.
Niemann - who is listed as World No.9 by Data Golf - unsurprisingly leads the LIV Golf individual standings ahead of Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau, while he is also at the top of the 2025 earnings list for all golfers, too, thanks to a grand total of over $21.9 million from 17 appearances - that's something like $1.3 million per event.
Should his scintillating form continue until the LIV Golf season concludes, it is highly likely that Niemann will end 2025 at the top of the earning mountain.
Golf's Highest Earner 2025
Player |
On-Course Earnings |
Competitive Starts |
Tournament Wins |
|---|---|---|---|
Joaquin Niemann |
$21,947,629 |
17 |
5 |
Scottie Scheffler |
$19,202,883 |
16 |
4 (Two Majors) |
Rory McIlroy |
$16,566,418 |
15 |
3 (One Major) |
