LIV golfers could face a major earnings shortfall if PIF funding comes to an end, according to new research from Action Network.
The analysis compared the average prize money earned by the top 20 golfers on LIV Golf’s all-time money list with their previous PGA Tour prize money, calculating an average for each competition played.
It found that LIV’s top 20 players have earned an average of $922,508.41 per competition since the launch of the PIF-backed tour. Before switching, those same players earned an average of just $126,060.22 per competition in PGA Tour prize money.
That creates an average gap of $796,448.18 per competition, highlighting how heavily LIV’s leading players have benefited from the tour’s prize-money structure.
The earnings gap is also clear when comparing both tours in 2026 alone. So far this year, the top 20 LIV players have earned an average of $440,066 more in prize money than their PGA Tour counterparts.
Jon Rahm is the standout example. He is LIV Golf’s most successful player and the only golfer to appear among the world’s 20 highest-paid athletes. Rahm ranks fifth globally with $84.7 million in earnings, excluding endorsements, behind only Karim Benzema, Juan Soto, Canelo Alvarez and Cristiano Ronaldo.
However, LIV’s prize-money advantage has not translated into a TV audience advantage. Despite the huge sums paid to its leading players, LIV Golf continues to trail the PGA Tour in viewership, with the PGA Tour’s average final-round viewing figures for 2026 sitting 796% higher than LIV Golf’s.
LIV’s strongest average TV audience has come in 2026, but at 396,000 viewers, it remains well behind the PGA Tour’s lowest average since LIV’s launch, which was 2.54 million in 2022.
For readers following the PGA Tour and LIV Golf more closely, Action Network also offers resources on the latest sportsbook offers, including DraftKings promo code and FanDuel promo code guides.
