Harrington and Woods take pay cut

Ireland’s “Big Three” took home a cool $29.5 million this year as Tiger Woods again topped golf’s rich list.

A sex scandal cost Woods a massive $48m in earnings as sponsors AT&T, Gatorade and Accenture decided not to renew their endorsement deals with the former world No 1.

But Tiger still easily topped the annual Golf Digest list of the game’s top 50 earners with $74.2 million - over $34m more than second placed Phil Mickelson.

The American, who celebrated his 35th birthday yesterday, is reputed to have earned an amazing $1.08 BILLION from the game since 1996.

Things haven’t gone so badly for Padraig Harrington either, despite winning just once in the last two years.

Earnings on and off the course this year saw the Dubliner ranked 12th with $11.6m – a fall of three places from 2009 when he banked $14.8m.

US Open champion and Ryder Cup hero Graeme McDowell was the highest new entry at 14th as he took home $9.7m that included tournament earnings of $7.7m plus another $2m in endorsements.

Rory McIlroy also took home a massive pay packet as he added sponsorship deals estimated at $2.75m to tournament earnings of $5.4m.

The Holywood star’s take home pay of $8.1m saw him leap 11 places to 24th in the list at the age of just 21.

According to Golf Digest, Woods’ overall earnings of $74.2 million were his lowest in a decade and more than $48m less than 2009, when he took in an incredible $121,915,196.

If 2010 was Europe’s year on the golf course, it was still Americans who earned the most money from the game with 20 of the top-50 and five of the top-6 coming from the United States.

Apart from retired greats such as Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Nick Faldo or Champions Tour players like Tom Watson, Bernhard Langer or Fred Couples, it is somewhat disturbing to see how much money can be made without winning a tournament.

Apart from Woods, who had a winless season for the first time since he turned professional, a failure to win in 2010 did not halt the earning power of the likes of Sergio Garcia ($12m), Davis Love III ($8.8m), Paul Casey ($8.6m), Retief Goosen ($7.8m), KJ Choi ($6.4m), Robert Allenby ($6.3m), Colin Montgomerie ($6.2m), Angel Cabrera ($5.6m), Henrik Stenson ($5.2m), Rickie Fowler ($5.2m), Sean O’Hair ($5.1m), Jeff Overton ($4.9m) or Vijay Singh ($4.9m).

Golf Digest 50 for 2010 - Top earners in world golf (2009 position in brackets)
1. Tiger Woods (1) On Course: $2,294,116 Off Course: $72,000,000 Total: $74,294,116
2. Phil Mickelson (2) On Course: $4,185,933 Off Course: $36,000,000 Total: $40,185,933
3. Arnold Palmer (4) On Course: $0 Off Course: $36,000,000 Total: $36,000,000
4. Greg Norman (5) On Course: $9,270 Off Course: $30,000,000 Total: $30,009,270
5. Jack Nicklaus (4) On Course: $175,000 Off Course: $25,000,000 Total: $25,175,000
6. Jim Furyk (12) On Course: $16,334,622 Off Course: $7,250,000 Total: $23,584,622
7. Ernie Els (6) On Course: $7,505,032 Off Course: $14,000,000 Total: $21,505,032
8. Gary Player (10) On Course: $14,350 Off Course: $15,000,000 Total: $15,014,350
9. Lee Westwood (14) On Course: $9,232,115 Off Course: $5,500,000 Total: $14,732,115
10. Luke Donald (32) On Course: $8,300,200 Off Course: $4,200,000 Total: $12,500,200
11. Sergio Garcia (8) On Course: $1,520,077 Off Course: $10,500,000 Total: $12,020,077
12. Padraig Harrington (9) On Course: $3,360,348 Off Course: $8,250,000 Total: $11,610,348
13. Camilo Villegas (34) On Course: $3,917,436 Off Course: $6,250,000 Total: $10,167,436
14. Graeme McDowell (NR) On Course: $7,714,379 Off Course: $2,000,000 Total: $9,714,379
15. Matt Kuchar (NR) On Course: $8,177,477 Off Course: $1,250,000 Total: $9,427,477
16. Martin Kaymer (43) On Course: $7,082,949 Off Course: $2,250,000 Total: $9,332,949
17. Fred Couples (28) On Course: $3,317,300 Off Course: $6,000,000 Total: $9,317,300
18. Ian Poulter (20) On Course: $5,572,796 Off Course: $3,400,000 Total: $8,972,796
19. Davis Love III (16) On Course: $1,344,472 Off Course: $7,500,000 Total: $8,844,472
20. Adam Scott (33) On Course: $3,928,567 Off Course: $4,800,000 Total: $8,728,567
21. Paul Casey (29) On Course: $6,440,895 Off Course: $2,225,000 Total: $8,665,895
22. Steve Stricker (13) On Course: $5,625,235 Off Course: $2,800,000 Total: $8,425,235
23. Anthony Kim (17) On Course: $3,147,742 Off Course: $5,200,000 Total: $8,347,742
24. Rory McIlroy (35) On Course: $5,434,517 Off Course: $2,750,000 Total: $8,184,517
25. Zach Johnson (19) On Course: $3,655,743 Off Course: $4,500,000 Total: $8,155,743
26. Ryo Ishikawa (42) On Course: $1,987,992 Off Course: $6,000,000 Total: $7,987,992
27. Retief Goosen (11) On Course: $4,849,872 Off Course: $3,000,000 Total: $7,849,872
28. Dustin Johnson (NR) On Course: $6,102,600 Off Course: $1,400,000 Total: $7,502,600
29. Nick Faldo (24) On Course: $0 Off Course: $7,500,000 Total: $7,500,000
30. Hunter Mahan (30) On Course: $4,396,717 Off Course: $2,800,000 Total: $7,196,717
31. Tom Watson (22) On Course: $1,151,628 Off Course: $6,000,000 Total: $7,151,628
32. Justin Rose (NR) On Course: $4,365,741 Off Course: $2,800,000 Total: $7,165,741
33. K.J. Choi (NR) On Course: $2,915,488 Off Course: $3,500,000 Total: $6,415,488
34. Robert Allenby (NR) On Course: $5,108,149 Off Course: $1,250,000 Total: $6,358,149
35. Tim Clark (NR) On Course: $5,045,702 Off Course: $1,200,000 Total: $6,245,702
36. Colin Montgomerie (40) On Course: $227,049 Off Course: $6,000,000 Total: $6,227,049
37. Bernhard Langer (NR) On Course: $3,648,939 Off Course: $2,500,000 Total: $6,148,939
38. Geoff Ogilvy (27) On Course: $3,450,099 Off Course: $2,400,000 Total: $5,850,099
39. Annika Sorenstam (21) On Course: $0 Off Course: $5,750,000 Total: $5,750,000
40. Angel Cabrera (15) On Course: $1,664,437 Off Course: $4,000,000 Total: $5,664,437
41. Paula Creamer (41) On Course: $875,140 Off Course: $4,750,000 Total: $5,625,140
42. Y.E. Yang (38) On Course: $2,599,527 Off Course: $3,000,000 Total: $5,599,527
43. Miguel Angel Jimenez (NR) On Course: $2,807,899 Off Course: $2,500,000 Total: $5,307,899
44. Henrik Stenson (23) On Course: $1,766,802 Off Course: $3,500,000 Total: $5,266,802
45. Rickie Fowler (NR) On Course: $3,461,475 Off Course: $1,750,000 Total: $5,211,475
46. Sean O’Hair (18) On Course: $2,413,290 Off Course: $2,750,000 Total: $5,163,290
47. Jeff Overton (NR) On Course: $3,456,356 Off Course: $1,500,000 Total: $4,956,356
48. Vijay Singh (7) On Course: $1,444,262 Off Course: $3,500,000 Total: $4,944,262
49. Ben Crane (NR) On Course: $4,087,000 Off Course: $850,000 Total: $4,937,000
50. Michelle Wie (NR) On Course: $888,016 Off Course: $4,000,000 Total: $4,888,016