$350M LIV Money Pushes Jon Rahm to Rival Cristiano Ronaldo Despite Brutal Ongoing Backlash

Has the seismic move to LIV Golf backfired on Jon Rahm? After a disappointing T45 finish at the 88th Masters, Rahm has once again teed up for the second major of the year. However, after the opening round of the 2024 PGA Championship, things don’t look bright for the 29-year-old.

Rahm was T47 after the opening day in Valhalla and his shift to LIV Golf for the million-dollar check was blamed as the reason for the decline in his performance at the PGA Championship so far. Though the golf world presumed the money was the sole reason behind Rahm’s bad play, it has somehow helped the Spaniard to rival Cristiano Ronaldo on the international level.

Jon Rahm charts the Forbes Athlete money list

After joining Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr, Cristiano Ronaldo earned an estimated $260 million to become the highest-paid soccer player in 2024 and the fourth-time highest-paid athlete on the Forbes list. Following him is the 2-time major winner, Jon Rahm, who also shifted to Saudi Arabia’s PIF-backed LIV Golf for a reported $350 million deal.

Forbes reported that Rahm has already been paid a total of around $218 million in his career earnings for 2024, keeping aside the guaranteed money from the contract. On top of that, the Spaniard has also earned more than $5 million from his consistent top-10 finishes in the last seven LIV Golf events.

It makes Rahm the only second athlete, alongside Ronaldo, to cross the $200 million mark. Last year, when Rahm played on the PGA Tour, the 3-time DP World Tour winner was far away from the top 10 in the highest-paid athletes list from Forbes, which included Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson.

The LIV Golf deal, hence, has been a two-edged sword for Rahm. It has given him the riches of the world and put him ahead of some of the legendary athletes, like Lionel Messi and LeBron James. Although Tiger Woods used to reign on the Forbes highest-paid athlete list at one point in his career, where is he placed now, and if there are any other golfers on the list?

How many golfers were on the Forbes highest-paid athletes list?

Interestingly, including Jon Rahm, only four other golfers were among the top 50 high-paid athletes in the world. The next golfer on the list comes seventeen places behind the Spaniard, who happens to be world no. 2, Rory McIlroy in the 19th rank. Between Rahm and McIlroy, there is more than a $100 million difference.

So far, the Northern Irishman has earned $80.1 million in 2024, which includes both his on- and off-field earnings. Following him in the 23rd position is Tiger Woods. According to the list this year, Woods earned $12.2 million from on-field earnings and $55 million, bringing the total to $67.2 million.

The world no. 1 Scottie Scheffler takes 29th place ($59.2 million) on the list, with $39.2 million earned on the course and $20 million from various sponsorships and deals. The last ranked golfer on the list is another LIV Golf player, Cameron Smith. The Aussie pro earned a total of $48 million, including $44 million via his contract and the events on LIV Golf.

Though only five golfers have been a part of the 2024 Forbes World Highest Paid Athletes list, by next year it may increase as the prize purse and popularity of the game keeps growing day by day.