Mickelson can’t escape Tiger Woods’ shadow after being given a reality check by LIV Golf

Phil Mickelson suffers LIV Golf reality check despite £155m contract in Tiger Woods comparison

Phil Mickelson has enjoyed a stellar career, earning enormous sums of money on and off the course, but even in the wake of his huge LIV Golf contract, he continues to lag behind Tiger Woods

Phil Mickelson had a weekend to forget at the latest LIV Golf tournament, and off the course he continues to lag behind longtime rival Tiger Woods.

Mickelson finished second-last in Hong Kong on Sunday after a disastrous 10-over-par opening round on Friday, derailing the momentum he accrued from a sixth-place finish in Saudi Arabia a week previously. Mickelson did improve over the final 36 holes, but his final score of eight-over was only better than Zimbabwe’s Kieran Vincent on a miserable weekend in the Far East for the six-time major champion.

The lefty is searching for form as his hopes of winning another major championship fade ahead of his 54th birthday in June, experimenting with a new putter, but he has endured a chastening start to the LIV season, finishing tied for 51st and 30th in Mayakoba and Las Vegas to start the campaign.

Mickelson can be content with his achievements regardless of how the rest of his career plays out, but his US Open and career grand slam dreams remain unfulfilled. Off the course, however, Mickelson remains big business, ranking as one of the top-earning athletes in 2023.

According to Forbes, Mickelson was the seventh highest-earning sportsman on the planet last year, banking $104 million (£81m), the vast majority of which came off the course after signing a contract in the region of $200m (£155m) with LIV Golf in 2022.

While 2023 was a great year for Mickelson’s bank balance, he still lags behind his old nemesis Woods in terms of career earnings after Sportico ranked the top 50 highest-paid athletes of all time.

Woods came in second on the list with inflation-adjusted career earnings of $2.66b (£2b), behind only NBA icon Michael Jordan. Woods is joined by golf legends Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus on the list, who ranked fourth and sixth respectively, ahead of the likes of Lionel Messi, David Beckham, Roger Federer and Floyd Mayweather.

Mickelson ranked in 11th place with inflation-adjusted career earnings of $1.43b (£1.1b), once again finding himself in Woods’ shadow. LIV Golf commissioner Greg Norman is also on the list, coming in at 15th with career earnings of $1.06b (£826m), boosted by his role with the Saudi Arabia-funded breakaway tour, his clothing brand and work as a course designer.

Rory McIlroy, Earnie Els and Gary Player are the other golfers to make the cut in the top 50, each racking up career earnings in excess of $600m (£468m), with 34-year-old McIlroy certain to climb the list in the years to come, with at least 10 years left as a competitive force on the course.

The PGA Tour’s move to offer equity to its players after a $3b investment from Strategic Sports Group announced earlier this year also significantly increases McIlroy’s earning potential.