Pat Perez is unapologetic for joining LIV Golf and cashing in after more than two decades on the PGA Tour. Though no one feels sorry for a man who won nearly $29 million in prize money in 21 years on the tour, Perez wanted what everyone wants: Less work; more money.
He found it with LIV.
“I just couldn’t be happier,” he said Sunday at the conclusion of LIV’s inaugural season. “It’s unbelievable.”
Perez is part of the Dustin Johnson’s 4 Aces, which won LIV’s team championship at Trump National Doral on Sunday. The title pushed Perez’s season earnings above $8 million.
LIV, financed by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, distributed $255 million in prize money in 2022, including $30 million in bonuses. In all, 52 golfers earned more than $1 million.
Here are the top 10 on LIV’s money list for its inaugural year and how this year compares to their time on the PGA Tour.
1
Dustin Johnson
LIV: $35,637,767 (8 events). PGA Tour: $74,897,059 (15 years)
Johnson’s total breaks down to $10,575,267 in individual prize money, $7,062,500 in team prize money and an $18 million bonus for winning the individual title.
By comparison, Scottie Scheffler led the PGA Tour money list last season, winning $14.05 million in 25 events.
Johnson, 38, captured LIV’s triple crown, topping the money leaders list and winning the individual championship and team championship.
“You add up the numbers and it was great but I played good … I didn’t play my best,” Johnson said. “So it always could be better.”
2
Branden Grace
LIV: $16,634,666 (8 events). PGA Tour: $12,296,547 (12 years)
Grace’s $8 million bonus for finishing second in the individual competition pushed him to the No. 2 spot on the money list. Grace’s largest payday was $4 million for winning the Portland event. His team, captained by Louis Oosthuizen, made $2.125 million on the season.
Grace, 34, said he thinks being part of a team, “brings the best out of me.”
3
Peter Uihlein
LIV: $12,814,786 (8 events). PGA Tour: $4,043,733 (10 years)
Uihlein, 33, earned a $4 million bonus for finishing third in the individual standings. He also made $3 million for being a part of team Smash, captained by Brooks Koepka.
In eight events, Uihlein more than tripled his PGA Tour earnings. He played in 126 events on the tour.
Uihlien is leaving Koepka’s team next season to join 4 Aces.
4
Patrick Reed
LIV: $12,210,714 (7 events). PGA Tour: $37,065,581 million (12 years)
Reed, 32, made about one-third the money in seven events on LIV as he did in 268 events on the PGA Tour. His winnings more than doubled what he made in any one year on tour. More than $7 million of Reed’s earnings came from being part of Johnson’s team.
“To come out and play the way we did through the season is unbelievable,” Reed said about 4 Aces. “Can’t wait for next year to keep it going.”
5
Talor Gooch
LIV: $10,374,500 (8 events). PGA Tour: $9,153,099 (6 years)
Gooch, 30, was a major contributor to Johnson’s team and was rewarded with more than $7 million of his total coming from the team’s earnings. Despite that, he will be moving to Bubba Watson’s team next year.
Gooch never earned more than $3.8 million in one year on the PGA Tour.
6
Brooks Koepka
LIV: $8,276,100 (7 events). PGA Tour: $37,987,257 (10 years)
Koepka, 32, finished strong, winning the event in Saudi Arabia and then leading his team to a third-place finish Sunday. The Jupiter resident won more than $5,651,100 in individual prize money and $2,625,000 in team money.
Koepka said he had no expectations when he joined LIV, rather “just kind of show up, see how it goes. But it’s been fantastic so far. I’ve loved every minute of it.”
7
Charl Schwartzel
LIV: $8,135,000 (8 events). PGA Tour: $20,912,493 million (18 years)
Jupiter’s Schwartzel started his season by winning more money in three days at LIV’s inaugural event than he had in any year on the tour.
“It’s beyond everybody’s imagination,” Schwartzel, 38, said. “You can’t lie (and say) it’s not about the money. There’s a lot of money out there.”
8
Pat Perez
LIV: $8,023,500 (8 events). PGA Tour: 28,830,160 million (21 years)
Nobody rode the coattails of his team more than Perez. He made $961,000 in individual prize money and $7,062,500 because of 4 Aces’ success.
9
Cameron Smith
LIV: $7,378,500 (5 events). PGA Tour: $27,037,033 million (8 years)
Smith was No. 2 in the world when he joined LIV after winning the Open and in just five starts he made more money than most golfers who played in six or seven events.
Smith took over as captain for team Punch when he joined LIV and powered it to a second-place finish, which pocketed him more than $2 million in team earnings.
10
Eugenio Chacarra
LIV: $6,932,000 million (7 events). PGA Tour: None (rookie)
Chacarra, 22, went from an amateur to joining LIV and winning nearly $7 million thanks to capturing the event in Bangkok. The Spaniard left Oklahoma State in the spring following the NCAA Tournament.
Chacarra joined Sergio Garcia’s Fireballs team, which won more than $2.1 million on the season.
