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Another season of LIV Golf is about to begin, with the first event kicking off on Friday, the 24th, in Mayakoba, Mexico. The Saudi-backed golf circuit will have 14 events this year, with 12 teams competing against each other.
The highlight of these events is the money that they are offering. Each individual event will have a purse of $20 million, and the team event will have $5 million to offer.
The captains of each team have a share in the earnings of the teams and have made millions with their switch to PGA's rival. The 12 skippers already have a combined net worth of $800 million. Here's a look at the net worth of all 12 captains.
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Phil Mickelson - $300m net worth
Phil Mickelson is easily the richest name on the PIF-funded circuit and is also one of the most accomplished names in the history of golf, with 54 PGA Tour wins and nearly $107 million in winnings.
The American has been vocal against the PGA Tour ever since leaving and has stated that he is okay with the fact that he may never play on the Tour again. He allegedly received $200 million as a signing fee from LIV.
Dustin Johnson - $99m net worth
Dustin Johnson is the third-biggest earner on the PGA Tour and also the third in most weeks spent as World No. 1.
In terms of money, he's only behind Mickelson and Tiger Woods. He was the individual champion in LIV Golf's inaugural season, which earned him $36 million in just eight tournaments.
Brooks Koepka - $68.5 net worth
Next comes Brooks Koepka, who had an impressive run in the Majors a couple of years back. The four-time Major Champion added around $8.2 million in his first year with LIV Golf in 2021
Sergio Garcia - $68.3m net worth
Sergio Garcia has similar stats to Koepka in terms of money. He has been one of the most controversial figures to leave the PGA Tour. The 2017 Masters champion is earning a significant sum with LIV.
Ian Poulter - $59.33m net worth
Ian Poulter has been Garcia's teammate in the Ryder Cup, and the majority of his success has come on the European Tour with 12 victories. As per him, the switch to LIV was a business decision.
Cameron Smith - $49.50m net worth
The highest ranked golfer on the LIV Golf circuit, Cameron Smith, is sixth on the list. Just weeks after his Open Championship victory, Smith called it quits with the PGA Tour to defect to the rival Saudi league.
He went on to earn $3.6 million in the Chicago event of the LIV Golf circuit, $1.2 million more than his Open Championship win.
Louis Oosthuizen - $42.20 net worth
Louis Oosthuizen is one of the most consistent golfers in the world. With 22 professional wins and a recent switch to LIV, the South African has made a good sum of money.
Bubba Watson - $40m net worth
Bubba Watson is next on the list with over $40 million net worth. The RangeGoats captain won the Masters twice in 2012 and 2014. He earned $48 million on PGA Tour prior to the suspension, but the Saudi-backed circuit offered him a whopping $49.8 million for the switch.
Kevin Na - £20m net worth
Kevin Na was one of the first names to defect to the breakaway league last year. The 39 year old faced severe backlash for the decision, however he earned over $2 million in eight LIV events last year.
Martin Kaymer - $21.8m net worth
Martin Kaymer is a former World No. 1 and a 25-time winner as a professional, with 3 wins on the PGA Tour and 11 on the DP World Tour. So, there was no shortage of money for him anyway. The German is surely adding a few more millions to his account with the LIV association.
Joaquin Niemann - $19.8m net worth
Unlike most people mentioned in the list, Joaquin Niemann is quite young. In fact, he is LIV Golf's youngest team captain among the 12. This doesn't mean he is in any way less powerful financially than his fellow captains.
Despite being just 24, Niemann already has a net worth of $19.8 million, which is only going to grow with a full season with LIV this year.
Bryson DeChambeau - $13.20m net worth
DeChambeau is another young captain. In his short career, he has made quite a name for himself. The American has become one of the top golfers in recent times with his hard-hitting approach.
LIV Golf 2023 season to kickoff from Friday
The first event of the 2023 LIV Golf League begins on Friday, February 24, with 12 teams participating. The first event is scheduled in Mayakoba, Mexico, and the event will start at 2.15 PM ET.
Last year, the Saudi-backed circuit was unable to secure any broadcast partners, but this year, the telecast of the matches will be handled by the CW, which is owned by Nexstar, in the United States.
Meanwhile, LIV Golf has introduced an app called LIV Golf Plus, which will be available globally and will allow viewers to stream all their matches live, as well as offer on-demand coverage.
