Since the advent of professional golf in the late 20th century, many players have become household names and role models for young people. One measure of a golfer’s success is their popularity with fans, who may buy apparel and equipment carrying their favorite player’s logo.
The three most popular golfers are Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and Jordan Spieth. Each golfer has won at least one major championship.
Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods is a former World No. 1 professional golfer who was the highest-paid athlete in the world for several years. He is also one of two athletes to have won more than $100 million in his career. In his prime from 1997-2005, he was considered by most to be the greatest golfer ever. He has 79 PGA Tour wins, including 14 major championships, and he ranks first all-time in career major victories and top-10 finishes. Golf is one of the most popular sports in the world and you can even place your bets on certain players, for example at bet at home.
Woods’ popularity was hurt in 2009 by a sex scandal that led to his divorce and a decline in playing performance. In the years since, he has made a comeback and regained some of his former statures. His endorsement deals with major companies like Nike make him one of the wealthiest athletes in the world.
Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy is a four-time major championship winner from Northern Ireland who ranks second in career wins on the European Tour. He has 27 wins to date, including four major championships. In 2014, “Time” magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people globally. That year, he became the youngest player to reach $10 million in career earnings on the European Tour.
He was the World No. 1 professional golfer for 95 weeks and is the current face of Nike Golf, and has been since the retirement of Tiger Woods. In 2016, he became the first golfer ever to make more than $20 million in a year. McIlroy has been thriving off the golf course, earning millions from endorsement deals with several companies.
He is especially popular in Europe, where he enjoys massive support from fans. McIlroy has won the PGA Player of the Year award four times, being named to both European Tour and PGA Tour Dream Teams; he is widely considered among the best golfers in history.
Jordan Spieth
Jordan Spieth is a professional golfer who, at the age of 23, already has three major championships to his name. He is the youngest player to win the Masters Tournament and the U.S. Open. Spieth holds the record for most top-10 finishes in a primary championship season with 11. In total, he has won nine PGA Tour events.
Spieth is currently world No. 2 golfer and is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world. He has endorsement deals with several major companies. He is also one of the most famous golfers globally, with a large and devoted fan base.
Jordan won the Masters Tournament and the U.S. Open in 2015, making him only the second person ever to win both tournaments in the same year.
Everything written in this article represents only our personal opinions.