After a disappointing season, the soccer superstar is eyeing the exit at Barcelona, but he still is on pace to reach that astronomical goal alongside Tiger Woods, Floyd Mayweather and, yes, Cristiano Ronaldo.



The only move Lionel Messi really needs to make to become soccer’s next billion-dollar man is none at all. If the star forward simply shows up at Barcelona’s Camp Nou in September, he will end the 2020–21 season with more than $1 billion in career earnings, a victory only three athletes before him have won.



It looks like the high-fives may have to wait. After a yearlong battle with FC Barcelona, the Argentine icon is threatening to leave the club after 16 years, ditching the final year of a contract that could make&nbsp;him the highest-paid player in what has become the world’s most lucrative sport.&nbsp;



“Globalization has made soccer, always the world&#8217;s most popular sport, also the world’s most lucrative in terms of revenue generation,” says Stefan Szymanski, author of&nbsp;Soccernomics&nbsp;and a University of Michigan professor of sport management. “In soccer, there is more or less unfettered competition on a global scale—there are no drafts, salary caps, etc.—and the best players generally go to the highest bidder.”



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="594" height="396" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/gettyimages-1167251285-594x594-1.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-45803" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/gettyimages-1167251285-594x594-1.jpg 594w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/gettyimages-1167251285-594x594-1-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 594px) 100vw, 594px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Quality Sport Images/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



It’s the kind of free-market economics that until this year were the domain of independent contractors.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/2009/09/29/tiger-woods-billion-business-sports-tiger.html">Tiger Woods</a>&nbsp;was the first athlete to earn $1 billion while still competing when in 2009 he sunk $10.5 million in prize money and more than $100 million off the links, mostly through an endorsement deal with Nike.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2017/08/26/how-floyd-mayweather-became-boxings-1-billion-man/">Floyd Mayweather</a>&nbsp;landed the honor in 2017 after a bet on himself that removed legendary promoter Bob Arum from his corner and led to a string of self-produced pay-per-view bouts that brought in more than $25 million 12 times, including $275 million for his 2017 fight with Conor McGregor. Messi’s longtime rival&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/2020/06/04/ronaldos-105-million-year-tops-messi-and-crowns-him-soccers-first-billion-dollar-man/">Cristiano Ronaldo</a>&nbsp;became the first team-sport competitor to do it when he earned $105 million during the 2019-20 season.&nbsp;



<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/mikeozanian/2014/06/12/michael-jordan-is-a-billionaire-after-increasing-stake-in-hornets/">Michael Jordan</a>, who tallied $550 million in career earnings during his 15 years playing for the Chicago Bulls and the Washington Wizards, remains the world’s only billionaire athlete, the bulk of his fortune created by a well-timed investment in the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets.



Messi’s arrival in the billion-dollar clubhouse will mark a climactic chapter in what has been soccer’s most expensive sideshow since 2009, when he and Ronaldo&nbsp;first faced off on competing teams in Spain’s La Liga. The strutting and often shirtless Ronaldo&nbsp;perfected the sport’s showman brand while the media-shy Messi was hailed as the modest one, more interested in his footwork than footwear, as prolific a goal scorer as a wingman and a master at crediting teamwork.



Ronaldo, who is two years older, has become the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2019/08/03/social-medias-most-valuable-athletes-ronaldo-mcgregor-and-lebron-score/">world’s most popular celebrity</a>, with 443 million social followers across Facebook, Instagram and Twitter—and the most marketable athlete in the world, too. According to Hookit, which tracks social media sponsorship value, from January to July this year, he created $28 million in value for the brands he promoted through 275 social media posts and the 873 million engagements with them. He has a lifetime deal with Nike and a long-term partnership with Herbalife, as well as a lifestyle brand that started with his CR7 line of underwear in 2013 and has expanded to include shoes, perfume, denim, hotels, gyms and his latest offering introduced this month,&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://robbreport.com/style/accessories/cristiano-ronaldo-sunglasses-cr7-eyewear-2941551/" target="_blank">sunglasses</a>. Last season, Ronaldo earned $45 million of his $105 million off the pitch.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="594" height="396" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/gettyimages-1142682752-594x594.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-40860" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/gettyimages-1142682752-594x594.jpg 594w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/gettyimages-1142682752-594x594-300x200.jpg 300w" sizes="(max-width: 594px) 100vw, 594px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



Messi is no endorsement slouch either, earning about $33 million annually through endorsement deals with lifetime partner Adidas, Lays, Mastercard, watchmaker Jacob &amp; Co, Qatar-based telecom Ooredoo and his new signature lifestyle brand launched last year with Ginny Hilfiger, sister of Tommy, at The Messi Store website. Hookit reports that from January to July this year, Messi put up 117 social media posts that received 235 million likes, comments or shares, creating $22 million in marketing value for the brands he promoted.



Barcelona is planning to pay its star forward $92 million this upcoming season, about a third of that in the form of performance incentives. Messi has been consistent earning those, posting 12 consecutive seasons with at least 31 goals and hitting 700 career goals in June, joining Ronaldo as the only active player at that level.



Until last week, soccer watchers were expecting the Argentine icon to sign a new&nbsp;deal on par with his current one to take him through retirement, but that was before his battle with Barcelona boiled over. The yearlong fight included a dustup over the midseason appointment of a manager that ended with his dismissal this week, a smear campaign against Messi and his wife reportedly dialed up by the club itself, and an embarrassing 8-2 loss to Bayern Munich that put an early finish to Barça’s Champions League title hopes. It was the first season in 12 years that Messi failed to win a trophy and one for which he took&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/2020/03/30/lionel-messis-coronavirus-wage-cut-could-cost-him-50-million/">a 70% cut in base pay</a>—$11 million—after the pandemic halted play for three months.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter size-large"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="1024" height="683" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-455404136-1-1024x683.jpg" alt="" class="wp-image-47209" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-455404136-1-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-455404136-1-scaled-300x200.jpg 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-455404136-1-scaled-600x400.jpg 600w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-455404136-1-768x512.jpg 768w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-455404136-1-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/GettyImages-455404136-1-2048x1365.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /><figcaption> (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)</figcaption></figure></div>



Where he lands—and how much he will make there—remains to be seen, although it is unlikely any club can afford to pay him the salary Barcelona can. Messi could do what Ronaldo did when he left Real Madrid&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/christinasettimi/2018/07/10/cristiano-ronaldo-takes-a-wage-cut-and-leaves-real-madrid-for-juventus/">for Italy’s Juventus</a>&nbsp;and make up for lower gross pay with a tax scheme that keeps his net pay level.



Or if Barcelona’s new manager, Ronald Koeman, can&nbsp;<a href="https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/53827543" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">bring peace back to Barcelona</a>, he could make the whole thing happen this year after all.



“He is the best player in the world, and the best player in the world you want in your team; you don’t want him playing against you,” Koeman said at a Wednesday press conference.



No matter what Messi chooses, the billion-dollar honor is his to lose. Soccer’s No. 3 earner, Neymar, has so far earned $450 million in his career and stands to make less than $100 million this season. Neymar’s Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappé will make less than half that.



-Christina Settimi, Forbes Staff

TOPSHOT-FBL-EUR-C1-BARCELONA-NAPOLI

The Next Billion-Dollar Athlete: Lionel Messi Closes In

Seven-year-old Simthandile ‘Sim Tiger’ Tshabalala already has the golfing world at his feet.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



South African golf legend Gary Player believes the country
has the potential to produce the next Tiger Woods, a superstar with charisma and
global appeal that will win major titles and become a role model to millions
around the world.



Player told FORBES AFRICA late last year he was “convinced
there is a black girl or boy in South Africa today with tremendous athletic
prowess, and with the talent to be a champion”.



Player’s prophecy could come true sooner than, perhaps even, he expects, with the emergence of seven-year-old Simthandile ‘Sim Tiger’ Tshabalala, a youngster that has shown such outstanding talent on the golf course that the world has sat up to take notice.



READ MORE | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Grass Is Greener In Soweto For Golf Legend Gary Player (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/sport/2018/12/23/grass-is-greener-in-soweto-for-golf-legend-gary-player/" target="_blank">Grass Is Greener In Soweto For Golf Legend Gary Player</a>



Tshabalala, who learned the game from YouTube videos and has
only been professionally coached for the last few years, has already played at
the Australian Open, where he came fourth, has played in Malaysia and Scotland,
and won the local US Kids Tour this year.



He will soon be jetting off to the United States, England
and Canada for more events in the coming month, fueling his passion to one day
emulate, and then surpass, his hero.



“It’s going very well, it’s very exciting for me,” Tshabalala tells FORBES AFRICA. “I really look up to Tiger Woods, he was number one in the world for so long.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="299" height="482" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Sim3.png" alt="" class="wp-image-41477" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Sim3.png 299w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Sim3-186x300.png 186w" sizes="(max-width: 299px) 100vw, 299px" /><figcaption> Seven-year-old Simthandile ‘Sim Tiger’ Tshabalala. Picture Supplied</figcaption></figure></div>



“He won so many tournaments and, just like me, he started playing at such a young age. He carried that through to his adult life and became a legend.”



The way Tshabalala talks; he is seven going on 17, such is
the maturity with which he answers questions.



Clearly, an exceptionally talented, and level-headed child,
he has the golfing world at his feet.



His father, Bonginkosi Tshabalala, admits his son’s success
has taken him rather by surprise, but he is determined to make sure all avenues
are open for the youngster.



READ MORE | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="The World’s Highest-Paid Soccer Players 2019: Messi, Ronaldo And Neymar Dominate The Sporting World (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/sport/2019/06/19/the-worlds-highest-paid-soccer-players-2019-messi-ronaldo-and-neymar-dominate-the-sporting-world/" target="_blank">The World’s Highest-Paid Soccer Players 2019: Messi, Ronaldo And Neymar Dominate The Sporting World</a>



“I grew up with an absent father, with no male guidance or exposure to many things, so it’s very important for me to be able to provide this platform for Sim. I want him to have a better life than me,” Tshabalala senior says.



The young Sim tried just about every sport going, but none
stuck until he picked up a golf club.



“From the age of two, we have tried all sports – tennis,
swimming, cricket, soccer and finally golf,” his father says.



“I must admit I did not even know what a golf course looked
like. 



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="301" height="536" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Sim2.png" alt="" class="wp-image-41478" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Sim2.png 301w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Sim2-300x534.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Sim2-168x300.png 168w" sizes="(max-width: 301px) 100vw, 301px" /><figcaption> Seven-year-old Simthandile ‘Sim Tiger’ Tshabalala holds the South African flag up high. Picture: Supplied</figcaption></figure></div>



“I had no clue about the rules of the game, but I thought I
had to teach myself first, then I could pass that on to Sim.



“So I bought some clubs, and the two of us would sit and watch YouTube videos with coaching tips and the like, trying to learn the game.



“We had been going to the driving range together and he was really enjoying it, so I decided to get him formal coaching.”



But Tshabalala senior, who is also his son’s caddy, says it
is not enough and they put in hours and hours of practice together each week.



“If you give him a fork to eat with, he will use it to
practise his swing. The first thing he does in the morning when he gets out of
bed is practice his swing. He is amazingly committed to the game.”



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="301" height="516" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Sim5.png" alt="" class="wp-image-41480" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Sim5.png 301w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Sim5-300x514.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Sim5-175x300.png 175w" sizes="(max-width: 301px) 100vw, 301px" /><figcaption> Seven-year-old Simthandile ‘Sim Tiger’ Tshabalala on the gold course. Picture: Supplied</figcaption></figure></div>



Such is his promise that ‘Sim Tiger’ has already secured a
sponsorship from top global golf equipment manufacturer, TaylorMade, but for
the rest, his increasingly expensive career is being funded by his father.



“We will be at the World Championships in North Carolina from August 1 to 3. Then we travel to England for the British Kids Championship on August 8 and 9, and from there, we play the 2019 Canadian Invitational on August 12 to 13. 



“It is obviously very expensive, and we are looking for
sponsorship, but at the same time, it is an amazing experience. 



“When we went to Malaysia, it was the first time, I had
never been outside of South Africa, so we have grown together as a family.”



READ MORE | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="World’s Highest-Paid Athletes 2019: What Messi, LeBron And Tiger Make (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/lists/2019/06/13/worlds-highest-paid-athletes-2019-what-messi-lebron-and-tiger-make/" target="_blank">World’s Highest-Paid Athletes 2019: What Messi, LeBron And Tiger Make</a>



For Tshabalala senior, this journey is much more than golf
and travel, it is a chance for him to spend time with his son, perhaps healing
some of those old wounds that linger from his father not providing him with the
same support. 



“Whatever happens in the future, it has brought us closer, and hopefully, he has learned some life lessons along the way,” he says.



<div class="wp-block-image"><figure class="aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" width="300" height="379" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Sim4.png" alt="" class="wp-image-41479" srcset="https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Sim4.png 300w, https://cms.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Sim4-237x300.png 237w" sizes="(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px" /><figcaption> Seven-year-old Simthandile ‘Sim Tiger’ Tshabalala. Picture: Supplied</figcaption></figure></div>

sim1

Grass Gets Greener For Young South African Golfing Wonder

Major League Baseball had a staggering run this year when, over a four-week period, a quartet of its biggest stars—Nolan Arenado, Bryce Harper, Manny Machado and Mike Trout—signed blockbuster, long-term deals&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2019/04/01/baseballs-highest-paid-players-2019-mike-trout-leads-with-39-million/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">worth a combined $1.3 billion</a>. They ranked as four of the biggest playing contracts in the history of sports.



The deals will create generational wealth for their families, but only Trout, ranked 17th with $50.6 million, cracks the top 20 of the&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.forbes.com/athletes/" target="_blank">world’s highest-paid athletes</a>. 



The difference: Those four baseball stars generate barely $10 million in combined endorsement income while the top earners in basketball, soccer, tennis and golf all individually bank at least $30 million from sponsors annually; eight of the 11 best-paid athletes come from those four sports.



READ MORE | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Lionel Messi Claims Top Spot on Forbes’ 2019 List Of The World’s 100 Highest-Paid Athletes (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/sport/2019/06/11/lionel-messi-claims-top-spot-on-forbes-2019-list-of-the-worlds-100-highest-paid-athletes/" target="_blank">Lionel Messi Claims Top Spot on Forbes’ 2019 List Of The World’s 100 Highest-Paid Athletes</a>



Most of the athletes ranked above Trout follow a similar path: Reach the highest levels of a global sport, and marketers swarm with endorsement deals to pitch their wares around the world.



 Barcelona soccer legend Lionel Messi leads the way on this year&#8217;s list with $127 million, including $35 million off the pitch from partners Adidas, MasterCard, PepsiCo and more. Messi translates into every language.



Messi is only the fourth athlete to land in the No. 1 spot over the past 19 years, joining Tiger Woods (12 times), Floyd Mayweather (4) and Cristiano Ronaldo (2). 



Messi succeeds Mayweather, who failed to get in the ring for a pro bout over the past 12 months but is likely still counting last year&#8217;s&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2018/06/13/full-list-the-worlds-highest-paid-athletes-2018/" target="_blank">$285 million haul</a>, which he earned largely from his 2017 bout against UFC star Conor McGregor.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



<h4 class="wp-block-heading">READ MORE | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="The World's Highest-Paid Athletes (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.forbes.com/athletes/#447d3f055ae5" target="_blank">The World&#8217;s Highest-Paid Athletes</a></h4>



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



Messi is joined by fellow global soccer icons Cristiano Ronaldo ($109 million) and Neymar ($105 million) at the top this year. It is the first time that soccer players have ranked as the top three earners in sports since Forbes began tracking athlete earnings in 1990.



Elite stars in other global sports are also extremely marketable on any continent. Roger Federer ranks fifth with $93.4 million, including $86 million off the court. 



Federer will turn 38 in August and is a dinosaur in tennis years. Yet Japanese apparel brand Uniqlo signed the 20-time Grand Slam winner in 2018 to a&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2018/07/02/roger-federers-uniqlo-deal-pushes-his-endorsement-earnings-to-the-worlds-highest/" target="_blank">10-year contract worth $300 million</a>. Federer has a dozen sponsors looking to tap the cash-rich tennis fan demographic.



Basketball&#8217;s leading trio of LeBron James ($89 million), Stephen Curry ($79.8 million) and Kevin Durant ($65.4 million) rank seventh through ninth, having earned a combined $130 million beyond their respective playing salaries. 



READ MORE | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="The NBA’s Highest-Paid Players 2019: LeBron James Leads With $89 Million (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/lists/2019/02/13/the-nbas-highest-paid-players-2019-lebron-james-leads-with-89-million/" target="_blank">The NBA’s Highest-Paid Players 2019: LeBron James Leads With $89 Million</a>



Their shoe deals, with Nike (James, Durant) and Under Armour (Curry), are by far the biggest endorsement for each player and dwarf what an MLB player can earn pitching baseball cleats and gear.



Sportswear brands, including Adidas, have used NBA stars in China for more than a decade to help establish a foothold in the world&#8217;s biggest market, sending big names like James and Durant there every summer on promotional tours. The NBA estimates&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/shlomosprung/2019/03/04/nba-china-ceo-derek-chang-takes-us-inside-nbas-push-to-make-basketball-worlds-most-popular-sport/#63a2ef0151b0" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">640 million people</a>&nbsp;in China watched some kind of NBA programming during the 2017-18 season—that&#8217;s nearly twice the population of the U.S.



Golf is another sport that reaches almost every corner of the globe, and no golfer has benefited more than Tiger Woods: He has made $1.4 billion during his career from endorsements and appearance fees, more than 10 times his prize money, and his net worth is a&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2018/12/18/tiger-woods-net-worth-800-million-in-2018/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">staggering $800 million</a>. Woods ranks 11th on this year&#8217;s athletes list with earnings of $63.9 million, including $54 million off the course.



Tiger roared back over the past 12 months with his first win in five years (Tour Championship) and his first major title in 11 years (The Masters). Last year, he signed an exclusive multi-year global content partnership with Discovery&#8217;s GolfTV. Head-to-head matches are part of the deal, and most will take place outside the U.S.



The 100 highest-paid athletes earned a combined $4 billion over the past 12 months, up 5% over the previous year. The increase jumps to 16% if you strip out the one-time stimulus of the 2017 Mayweather-McGregor fight. Endorsements fueled much of the gains, with sponsor-driven income at $987 million, up 12% from the previous year.



Overall, athletes from 10 sports and 25 countries made the top 100. Basketball (35 athletes) is the most dominant sport, and Americans (62) are the most dominant nationality.



READ MORE | <a rel="noreferrer noopener" aria-label="Inside Serena Williams’ Plan To Ace Venture Investing (opens in a new tab)" href="https://www.forbesafrica.com/woman/2019/06/05/inside-serena-williams-plan-to-ace-venture-investing/" target="_blank">Inside Serena Williams’ Plan To Ace Venture Investing</a>



Tennis ace Serena Williams ranked 63rd with $29.2 million, including $25 million off the court. She is the only woman to crack the top 100 for the second time in three years.&nbsp;



<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2018/06/07/why-no-women-ranked-among-the-worlds-100-highest-paid-athletes/" target="_blank">No female athletes qualified last year</a>, when Williams was just returning to tennis after a 12-month layoff for her pregnancy and the birth of her daughter, Olympia. Williams is lining up her next act with a new clothing line and&nbsp;<a rel="noreferrer noopener" href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2019/06/03/inside-serena-williams-plan-to-ace-venture-investing/" target="_blank">a venture capital fund</a>focused on investing in female and minority founders.



Our earnings include prize money, salaries and bonuses earned between June 1, 2018, and June 1, 2019. Endorsement incomes are an estimate of sponsorships, appearance fees and licensing incomes for the same 12-month period (click&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2019/06/11/behind-the-numbers-of-the-top-earning-athletes-2019/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a>&nbsp;for a more detailed methodology and the numbers behind the top 100).



-Kurt Badenhausen; Forbes Staff

gettyimages-1142682752-594×594

World’s Highest-Paid Athletes 2019: What Messi, LeBron And Tiger Make

The 83rd Masters will go down as one of the most memorable events in modern golf history.



Many fans point to Jack Nicklaus’ unexpected run to a sixth green jacket in 1986 at 46 years old as the ultimate Augusta moment, but Tiger Woods, who has been chasing Nicklaus’ legacy his entire career, might have just topped the Golden Bear.



Woods, decked in his trademark red, won the Masters by one stroke Sunday, holding off a stacked leaderboard of seasoned, elite golfers. It was a moment that many sports fans thought would never happen after a series of back surgeries pushed Woods to the brink of retirement.



Americans love to see their brightest stars fall, and few have fallen from a higher point than Woods, who was the most marketable athlete on the planet for a decade-plus. But the one thing Americans seem to love even more is the redemption story. Sports fans had waited 11 years for Woods to take another step toward Nicklaus&#8217; hallowed record of 18 major titles.



Woods’ Tour Championship win last year was an indicator of what was to come, and he’s once again a marketing force. Woods and Phil Mickelson had a $9 million winner-take-all pay-per-view event in November, and Woods signed a multiyear content deal last fall with Discovery’s new over-the-top streaming service, GolfTV. He will do weekly golf instructional videos and is set to do a series of showdown-type events in Asia as part of the Discovery partnership.



Here are some of the numbers behind Woods and his history at Augusta.



4: Back surgeries for Woods.



5: Wins at Augusta for Woods, but the most recent was 14 years ago. It is the longest gap between Masters wins ever.



11: It has been just shy of 11 years since Woods won his last major tournament (2008 U.S. Open).



11: Number of times Woods has won the Player of the Year award.



12: Woods’ current rank in the&nbsp;<a href="http://www.owgr.com/ranking" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">World Golf Ranking</a>.



16: Woods’ rank last year among&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2018/06/05/mayweather-messi-lead-the-worlds-highest-paid-athletes-2018/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">the world&#8217;s highest-paid athletes</a>. He earned $43.3 million.



20: Woods has made the cut in all 20 of his Masters appearances.



21: Woods was the youngest Masters champion ever when he won in 1997 at 21 years old by a record 12 strokes.



35: Number of players who had won a major title&nbsp;<a href="http://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/26522684/tiger-masters-victory-even-never-saw-coming" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">since Woods’ last Masters win</a>&nbsp;in 2005. That span covered 55 tournaments.



43: Woods is the second-oldest Masters champion, with only Nicklaus having been older when he put on the green jacket.



81: Career PGA Tour wins for Woods, one shy of Sam Snead’s record.



281: Consecutive weeks Woods was ranked No. 1 in the world between 2005 and 2010.



$1.19 million: Payout for a bettor who put down $85,000 at 14/1 odds at William Hill&#8217;s Las Vegas sportsbook on Woods to win. “It’s great to see Tiger back.&nbsp;It’s a painful day for William Hill—our biggest golf loss ever—but a great day for golf,” says Nick Bogdanovich, William Hill U.S.&#8217;s director of trading.



$2.07 million: Woods’ prize money for the 2019 Masters win.



$20 million: Value of his yacht Privacy.



$20 million: Estimated value of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.golfdigest.com/story/golden-retirements-pga-tour-pros-get-a-gift-that-keeps-giving" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Woods’ PGA Tour pension plan</a>.



$800 million:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2018/12/18/tiger-woods-net-worth-800-million-in-2018/#7875226c348e" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Estimated net worth</a>&nbsp;for Woods.



$1.5 billion: Cumulative career earnings for Woods, including prize money, endorsements, appearance fees and golf course design fees.



-Kurt Badenhausen;Forbes Staff

GettyImages-1142687460

Masters Champion Tiger Woods: By The Numbers

In an exclusive interview with FORBES AFRICA, golf legend Gary Player speaks about the greatest community golf course he has worked on, and it’s in Soweto.



<hr class="wp-block-separator"/>



Golf legend Gary Player has thrown his weight behind a project in South Africa’s Soweto township that he believes should be viewed as a game-changer in how to integrate courses into local communities and is perhaps the first step in producing a black golfer capable of winning a Major title for the country. 



Player, 83, who was recently honored with the title of World Golf Course Designer of the Year, is best known for the nine Major titles he won in an illustrious playing career that included 165 professional victories.



He has been key in the rejuvenation of the Soweto Country Club, a sea of green among the sprawling township, and says it is so much more than a place to enjoy a round of golf.



“We originally designed this course in the 1970s, but this new course we have been working on for two years now,” Player tells FORBES AFRICA. 



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“It’s a miracle, it’s the greatest community golf course we have done and we’ve done hundreds around the world. </blockquote>



“I have never seen anything to compare to Soweto Country Club. There is a vibe here that is unmatched anywhere in the world.”



Player says a big part of the project has been to include locals in the development and running of the course, to help them feel part ownership of the project and provide a needed sanctuary for many in the community. 



“We had young guys here in Soweto with no jobs and we have brought them in and trained them to cut greens. We have incentivised people,” Player says.



“We have old ladies that are lonely and suffering from neglect, we bring them here to have a cup of tea and give them some love in their lives. 



“We want to get elderly gentlemen to come and make a seniors division and play a bit, even if it is only three holes. We want to include everyone.



“We want to create something for the community that benefits everybody. Even the houses along the road next to the golf course, they are painting them and rebuilding because they are going up in value.



<blockquote class="wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow">“What we can do through golf is amazing. It is not just the elitist sport that people used to say it is.”</blockquote>



Player, whose views on the game are sought all over the world, feels that the threat to golf in the future does not come at the top of the sport in the professional game, but rather that it becomes inaccessible to amateur players. 



“In professional golf, they have never played for such fantastic amounts of money. These days, in two tournaments, some of the pros earn what I managed to win in all my life,” Player says.



“Professional golf is so popular, especially with Tiger Woods coming back now. But what we need is to build golf courses for the average man, the pros are not so important.



“Because it is the average man that comes here to enjoy the
game and have fun. Amateur player numbers are down because firstly, it is too
expensive and secondly, the game is too slow. We need to change that.”



Woods has been an icon for golf for two decades, despite injuries that kept him out of the game for long periods.



His attacking style of play and immense ability have drawn a huge fan base, including many people who would not be considered traditional golf fans.



Player believes that somewhere out there is South Africa’s own Tiger Woods and that it is only through facilities like the Soweto Country Club that they can be found.



“It depends if a person has got what I call ‘it’ and very few do have that. In the history of golf, there have probably been about 14 superstars, which are players that have won at least six Majors in my opinion. They had something that was different to others. 



“Clubs around the country should tell aspiring young players from poor backgrounds that they can come play early in the morning, or late in the evenings, whatever the case may be, to help them improve. 



“And with the right coaching, I am very hopeful that we can produce a champion.”



South African golfers have won 22 Major titles, the fourth highest of any nation behind the United States (270), Scotland (55) and England(35).



Player heads the list with his nine triumphs, followed by Bobby Locke and Ernie Els with four each, Retief Goosen (two), Trevor Immelman, Louis Oosthuizen and Charl Schwartzel are the other winners.



The Soweto Country Club may be the best chance yet to produce a first black champion.



-Nick Said

gettyimages-1004496342-594×594

Grass Is Greener In Soweto For Golf Legend Gary Player

The NBA is flush with cash right now thanks to its $24 billion TV deal with ESPN and TNT, as well as its global opportunities. Players are sharing in the riches, with 29 current NBAers in the middle of contracts worth at least $94 million in deals that range from three years in the case of LeBron James to five years for most of the 28 others, according to <a href="http://www.spotrac.com/nba/rankings/contract-value/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data from Spotrac</a>. The significance of $94 million: It is more than the career earnings from playing salary of the sport&#8217;s greatest player, Michael Jordan, who earned $93.8 million with the Chicago Bulls and the Washington Wizards.
But don&#8217;t shed a tear for MJ. Sure, he made more than $4 million during only two of his 15 seasons in the NBA (Bulls owner Jerry Reinsdorf also paid Jordan his $4 million salary during the full season he took off to play baseball). Yet Jordan elevated athlete endorsements to an entirely new level, which has continued long after he hung up his high-tops for good in 2003. The result: Jordan is the highest-paid athlete of all time at $1.85 billion in 2017 dollars (the tally is $1.5 billion in current dollars).
Jordan has partnered with dozens of brands since he turned pro in 1984, including Gatorade, Hanes, MCI, Oakley, Upper Deck, Wheaties and more. His biggest backer has always been Nike, which signed Jordan ahead of his rookie year to a five-year deal worth $2.5 million, plus royalties. The Jordan Brand exploded for Nike and is now a $3.1 billion global business with revenue up 13% over last year and $800 million from two years ago. Jordan&#8217;s estimated cut of the business is $140 million this year.
Jordan showed the path to a fortune built on endorsement earnings that has since been followed by Tiger Woods, who ranks second at $1.7 billion. Like Jordan, Woods reached the pinnacle of his sport while shying away from any controversy, making him a marketing darling for sponsors like Accenture, American Express, EA Sports, General Motors and Nike.
<a href="http://www.forbesafrica.com/sport/2017/08/15/serena-williams-heads-highest-paid-female-athletes-2017/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE: Serena Williams Heads The Highest-Paid Female Athletes 2017</a>
Woods banked $600 million (adjusted for inflation) between 2006 and 2010, with endorsements and appearance fees fueling most of the earnings. The image of Woods as the perfect pitchman came crashing down on a Thanksgiving night eight years ago, but he remains the top draw in golf when healthy. His earnings are off 68% from their peak but still rank among the highest in golf.
Forbes&#8216; earnings estimates include salaries, bonuses, prize money, endorsements and licensing, as well as fees from books, golf course designs and appearances. Earnings cover from the time the athletes turned pro through June 1, 2017, and include money earned after playing careers were over, as well as earnings by the estate in the case of Arnold Palmer. We do not include investment income, and we back-filled years where we did not publish earnings figures, such as prior to 1990 for Palmer and Jack Nicklaus. We adjusted all figures for inflation.
The 25 highest-paid athletes of all time played a mix of eight sports, with golf, basketball and boxing landing five entries each. The top 25 have earned a cumulative $19.4 billion since turning pro ($15.9 billion without adjusting for inflation).
<a href="http://www.forbesafrica.com/sport/2017/06/09/ronaldo-lebron-top-worlds-highest-paid-athletes-2017/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">READ MORE: Ronaldo, Le Bron Top World&#8217;s Highest-Paid Athletes Of 2017 </a>
From branding it like Beckham to the Golden Bear’s Midas touch, these sports legends are so money when it comes to career earnings and endorsement deals.
<h3>The Highest-Paid Athletes of All-Time</h3>
1. Michael Jordan
Career earnings: $1.85 billion (2017 dollars)
Jordan still maintains his longtime endorsement relationships with Gatorade, Hanes, Nike and Upper Deck, but the investment that made him a billionaire was the $175 million fire-sale price he got the Charlotte Bobcats (now the Hornets) for in 2010. Jordan bumped his Hornets stake to 90% in 2013, and the team is now worth $780 million.
2. Tiger Woods
<div id="attachment_34818" style="width: 415px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-34818" class=" wp-image-34818" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Tiger-Woods-e1513240484211-300x180.jpg" alt="Tiger Woods" width="405" height="243" />Tiger Woods during the Hero World Challenge at Albany, Bahamas in Nassau, Bahamas. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)</div>
Career earnings: $1.7 billion
The 14-time major winner has played only 18 official PGA Tour events since the start of 2014 because of injuries (he&#8217;s missed the cut or withdrawn from half of them). Sponsors still see value in partnering with Woods, with TaylorMade, Bridgestone and Monster Energy the most recent additions to his endorsement portfolio.
3. Arnold Palmer
Career earnings: $1.4 billion
Palmer died in September 2016, but his estate still <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2017/10/30/how-arnold-palmer-still-earns-40-million-annually-after-his-death/#4e4005850ffa" target="_blank" rel="noopener">banked $40 million</a> during the last 12 months. More than 400 stores sell Arnold Palmer-branded apparel in Asia, with plans to move into new markets like Thailand and Vietnam. His estate has agreements with 39 licensees. The partnership between IMG founder Mark McCormack and his first client, Palmer, revolutionized sports marketing.
4. Jack Nicklaus
Career earnings: $1.2 billion
Nicklaus&#8217; course design company is responsible for 410 courses in 41 countries, with the 18-time major winner involved in three-quarters of the projects. In addition to course design, the Nicklaus business empire includes real estate, wine, ice cream, drinkware, golf academies, lemonade and more.
5. Michael Schumacher
Career earnings: $1 billion
The health of Schumacher, 47, has been precarious since a 2013 skiing accident in the Alps left him in a coma. The F1 titan dominated his sport while racking up seven titles and is one of only six athletes to top the FORBES highest-paid athletes list since 1990.
6. Phil Mickelson
Career earnings: $815 million
Mickelson pitches for Amgen, ExxonMobil, KPMG, Rolex, Grayhawk and the Greenbrier, as well as two new partners in Intrepid Financial Partners and Workday. His $84 million in career prize money ranks second all-time. Coming in second to Tiger has been plenty lucrative for Lefty, who finally outearned his rival in 2015, for the first time since Woods turned pro in 1996.
7. (tie) Kobe Bryant
Career earnings: $800 million
Bryant&#8217;s earnings during his playing career were <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2015/11/30/kobe-bryant-will-retire-with-record-680-million-in-career-earnings/#3cfbd75c217c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tops all time among team athletes</a>, and he had the highest NBA salary the final six seasons of his career. The Black Mamba is attacking retirement the way he did opposing guards during his 20-year NBA career. He launched Kobe Inc. and a venture capital firm, Bryant Stibel, with $100 million in funding.
7. (tie) David Beckham
Career earnings: $800 million
Beckham&#8217;s most lucrative years have come in retirement thanks to royalty deals with Diageo, to launch a new single-grain Scotch whisky called Haig Club, and Global Brands Group, to create Beckham-branded consumer products. Beckham is inching closer to bringing an MLS expansion team to Miami, which he got the rights to at the bargain-basement price of $25 million.
9. Floyd Mayweather
<div id="attachment_32912" style="width: 410px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-32912" class=" wp-image-32912" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/Mayweather-v-McGregor-e1500973503764-300x219.jpg" alt="Floyd Mayweather Jr. v Conor McGregor" width="400" height="292" />Dana White splits Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Conor McGregor apart during the World Press Tour at SSE Arena on July 14, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Matthew Lewis/Getty Images)</div>
Career earnings: $785 million
Our earnings figure for Mayweather does not include his monster payday for his August bout against Conor McGregor (our scoring period ended June 1). His McGregor paycheck makes Mayweather just the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2017/08/26/how-floyd-mayweather-became-boxings-1-billion-man/#76042d3f7d5a" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sixth athlete ever</a> with earnings of $1 billion.
10. Shaquille O&#8217;Neal
Career earnings: $735 million
O&#8217;Neal sold a stake in the business of Shaq last year to Authentic Brands Group, which got the rights to roughly half of O&#8217;Neal&#8217;s future licensing and endorsement revenue in return for a lump sum payment. Shaq’s low-cost sneaker line has sold more than 120 million pairs during his career.
11. LeBron James
Career earnings: $730 million
The NBA&#8217;s top pitchman added Intel and Verizon this year to his endorsement portfolio, which already included Nike, Coca-Cola, Beats by Dre and Kia Motor. King James owns a stake in 17 Blaze Pizzas, the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2017/07/11/lebron-james-backed-blaze-pizza-is-fastest-growing-restaurant-chain-ever/#4ba2258152b2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">fastest-growing food-service business</a> of all-time.
12. Cristiano Ronaldo
<div id="attachment_34819" style="width: 411px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-34819" class=" wp-image-34819" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Cristiano-Ronaldo-e1513240861323-300x199.jpg" alt="Cristiano Ronaldo" width="401" height="266" />Cristiano Ronaldo of Real Madrid during the La Liga match against Sevilla at Santiago Bernabeu Stadium in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Power Sport Images/Getty Images)</div>
Career earnings: $725 million
Ronaldo is rising up the charts as the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2017/06/07/ronaldo-lebron-top-the-worlds-highest-paid-athletes-of-2017/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highest-paid athlete</a> in the world the past two years, including $93 million in the 12 months ending in June. His <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2016/11/07/worlds-highest-paid-athlete-cristiano-ronaldo-signs-new-real-madrid-contract/#7c9525b2688f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real Madrid contract extension</a> will push the earnings for soccer&#8217;s reigning player of the year even higher.
13. Greg Norman
Career earnings: $705 million
Like Shaquille O&#8217;Neal and Muhammad Ali before him, Norman sold his future licensing rights to Authentic Brands Group in March. Norman&#8217;s company retains control of his real estate, investments and course design operations, but ABG will work on his other business interests in apparel, accessories, steak and wine.
14. Mike Tyson
Career earnings: $700 million
The youngest heavyweight champion in the history of boxing squandered $400 million in earnings (not adjusted for inflation) before filing for bankruptcy in 2003. Tyson has reinvented himself at 51 as an actor and with business partnerships around gaming, motorcycles and fitness centers.
15. Roger Federer
<div id="attachment_34820" style="width: 410px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-34820" class=" wp-image-34820" src="https://www.forbesafrica.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Roger-Federer-e1513241162828-300x207.jpg" alt="Roger Federer" width="400" height="276" />Roger Federer of Switzerland celebrates after beating Marin Cilic of Croatia during the ATP World Tour Finals at The O2 Arena, London. (Photo by Kieran Galvin/NurPhoto via Getty Images)</div>
Career earnings: $675 million
Federer recently re-took the crown for highest career prize money on the ATP Tour with his resurgent year on the court in 2017. His $111.9 million tally surpasses the total of Novak Djokovic ($109.8 million), as well as that of Tiger Woods, who sits at $110 million in prize money on the PGA Tour.
16. Lionel Messi
Career earnings: $600 million
Messi has been at Barcelona since age 13, and his contract extension last month will keep him at Camp Nou through the 2020-21 season. The buyout clause for Barcelona&#8217;s all-time leading scorer doubled under the new deal to $835 million.
17. Alex Rodriguez
Career earnings: $575 million
A-Rod signed two of the three biggest contracts in the history of baseball during his 22-year career and was paid $20 million by the Yankees in 2017 despite retiring last year. He has been busy in retirement as a Fox Sports analyst and a host for an upcoming CNBC reality show, in addition to his high-profile relationship with Jennifer Lopez.
18. Jeff Gordon
Career earnings: $525 million
Gordon won 93 races during his Nascar career, the modern-day record. He owns a stake in Jimmie Johnson&#8217;s No. 48 car and could be in line for a larger ownership role at Hendrick Motorsports.
19. Oscar De La Hoya
Career earnings: $520 million
The Golden Boy&#8217;s 2007 fight with Floyd Mayweather was the biggest bout in pay-per-view history, with 2.5 million buys, until Mayweather faced Manny Pacquiao. De La Hoya earned a then-record $52 million because he served as the fight&#8217;s promoter through his company Golden Boy Promotions, which he founded in 2002.
20. Manny Pacquiao
Career earnings: $510 million
Pacquiao&#8217;s pay-per-view career includes 18.6 million buys and gross revenue of $1.2 billion. The Filipino senator lost to Australian Jeff Horn in his only 2017 bout. Pacquiao&#8217;s biggest career payday was his 2015 fight with Mayweather, for which he pocketed roughly $125 million.
21. Derek Jeter
Career earnings: $490 million
Jeter&#8217;s tenure as an MLB owner is off to a rocky start in South Florida. The 14-time All-Star put up only $25 million of the $1.2 billion price for the Miami Marlins, but Jeter is calling the shots as CEO of the team.
22. (tie) Peyton Manning
Career earnings: $480 million
The five-time MVP retired as the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards (71,490) and touchdowns (539) and was the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/2016/03/07/peyton-manning-retires-with-record-400-million-in-career-earnings/#7c60b345488f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">NFL record-holder for earnings</a> on and off the field. Manning remains a popular pitchman in retirement, shilling for Nationwide, DirecTV, Gatorade, Papa John&#8217;s and Otterbox. He also hosted the 2017 ESPYs.
22. (tie) Kevin Garnett
Career earnings: $480 million
Garnett earned an NBA-record $334 million in playing salary during his 22-year playing career with the Timberwolves, the Celtics and the Nets. His blockbuster six-year, $126 million contract as a 21-year-old in 1997 helped push NBA owners to lock out the players ahead of the 1998-99 season.
24. Evander Holyfield
Career earnings: $475 million
Holyfield&#8217;s career-high payday was $34 million, for his second fight versus Mike Tyson, which ended abruptly when Tyson was disqualified for biting off a chunk of Holyfield&#8217;s ear. Despite a quarter-century of boxing purses, Holyfield faced major financial issues with a foreclosure of his $10 million, 109-room Atlanta estate and lawsuits for unpaid child support.
25. Andre Agassi
Career earnings: $470 million
Agassi&#8217;s massive Nike endorsement deal earned him $140 million over 10 years, including the appreciation of the company stock he received in the pact.
&#8211; Written by <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhausen/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-ga-track="contrib block byline">Kurt Badenhausen</a>, FORBES STAFF

The 25 Highest-Paid Athletes Of All Time

As we wait at the Johannesburg Country Club on a warm Friday afternoon to meet Thabo Maseko, the youngest qualified PGA golfer, it is hard to know what to expect. Could he be Africa’s Tiger Woods in 10 years, or just another very good weekend golfer?
The Johannesburg Country Club, an oasis of trees and grass amid concrete, is to the north of the city and alive with activity. Some people are hitting balls on the lush green fairways, while others take a late lunch. From behind us a young, polite man arrives and greets us.
<div id="attachment_503" style="width: 310px" class="wp-caption alignleft"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-503" class="wp-image-503 size-medium" src="/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/IMG_6128-300x197.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="197" />Thabo Maseko at the Johannesburg Country Club</div>
There are no other black golfers in sight. In fact, before 19-year-old Maseko was born, most black golfers weren’t allowed to compete on South Africa’s golf courses, let alone play professionally in tournaments including the Sunshine Tour, a prestigious tournament that Maseko has just qualified to play in this year. In those days, most black people on golf courses were caddies—a million miles away from an aspiring black golf professional like Maseko.
“It’s a dream come true—something I’ve wanted to do pretty much my whole life. It did come a bit early, but I was definitely ready for the change. I’m just relishing the challenge, to be honest. It’s an amazing feeling and I’m looking forward to it,” he says with a big smile on his face.
Maseko, who is ranked 835th in the European golf ranking, is humble and just happy to be doing what he does best—play golf.
“It’s exciting because I’m just playing. I’ve got nothing to lose and I’m young. You know other guys are playing for their lives; it’s like a real job for them. I’m just having fun out there and I’m doing what I love. Instead of going to varsity, I’m playing golf—it’s just awesome,” Maseko says.
Maseko, son of former CEO of the South African Government Communication and Information System (GCIS), Themba Maseko, says he started to like golf after watching his dad play socially. Maseko says he then started hitting balls around when he was about 10 years old, but it wasn’t until he saw Tiger Woods on television that he wanted to be a professional golfer; he started playing, aged 12.
It’s not easy to make it as a professional golfer, and one has to go to tour school to qualify as a professional. Maseko attended The Golf School of Excellence in Observatory, Johannesburg, and had to finish in the top 10 out of his group to qualify as a tour professional.
“That week is an intense one—you play four rounds, you know you can’t mess up; every shot is really important. It really was a difficult week, but I’m glad I came out,” Maseko says.
Mike Taylor of the Sunshine Tour says Maseko is exceptionally good for his age and is a promising talent. “He’s got his head squarely on his shoulders and looks pretty sharp when he’s on the green. He broke 70 on his first day of tour school trials. He played confidently and has really good skills,” says Taylor.
“At the end of the day, I’m working towards a goal; so in the next couple of years, hopefully I can be number one. I guess we’re all practising hard out there—it’s long hours—we just want to be the best we can, really,” Maseko says enthusiastically.
Opportunities are endless to make money in the game and can turn a golfer into a multi-millionaire.
“Put it this way—playing for $460,000 a week in prize money, if you finish in the top 30, you can make around $13,000-$20,000 a week straight,” says Maseko.
Life can be tough without sponsors because golf is an expensive sport.
“We’re also speaking to a few new potential sponsors right now; we’re going to be signing in the next couple of weeks—I can’t say right now who I’m speaking to, but it’s pretty big. They’ll be giving me tons of money a month to go play, and I’m going to Europe as well; they want to support me, especially because there hasn’t been a young black golfer on tour. So people are giving me opportunities and it’s looking good.”
So what does the young golfer hope to achieve in the near future? “I’ve only been professional now for about four weeks, so hopefully as soon as I find my feet, I’ll make a few cuts and make a bit of money. But right now, I’m not thinking about the money. I just want to go and show my talent and pick up the trophies,” Maseko says, smiling confidently.
Tiger Woods must be looking over his shoulder.

Tag: Tiger Woods