Tiger Woods remains the undisputed richest athlete in the world having again topped the Forbes magazine list of highest earners.
Woods has been on top of the money pile every year since 2002, with only exception being 2012.
In 2009, he became the first sportsperson in history to earn over $US 1 billion, and just a few months before Michael Jordan and Michael Schumacher reached that mark.
In 2013, there were three ‘actively’ competing golfers in the top-21 on Forbes List including five-time Major winning Phil Mickelson at No. 7 with earnings of $US 50 million and the double Major winning McIlroy whose ranked 21st with $US 30 million in winnings. That translates to some $US 5m a season for the 24-year old McIlroy since turning professional at the end of 2007.
The surprise entry in the 2013 list, however, was that just a position below superstar footballer Lionel Messi at rank 10, was another golfer, 84-year old Arnold Palmer with earnings of $US 40 million.
Palmer ranks second on the Forbes list of ‘Retired Sportsperson’ despite PGA Tour career earnings of $US 1.9m and with the last of his 62 PGA Tour victories 1973, while 40 years later he enjoyed his most successful year ever from an earnings standpoint.
