GOLF legend Tiger Woods has officially been declared a billionaire.
The fifteen-time Major winner, 46, joins the elite club despite snubbing the lucrative Saudi-backed LIV Tour.
Tiger Woods has been declared a billionaire by Forbes
The golfing legend has won fifteen Major tournaments over his career
But it’s estimated just 10 percent of his wealth has been earned on the course
He joins basketball pair LeBron James and Michael Jordan in the elite club
Greg Norman revealed that Woods was offered almost $1billion to appear in the new competition which began on June 9.
Tiger rejected the deal as he looks to return to full-time golf following a near-fatal car accident in February 2021.
And now Forbes have confirmed he is the third athlete in history to reach billionaire status.
NBA legend Michael Jordan was the first to reach the incredible milestone, before being joined by fellow basketball superstar LeBron James earlier this month.
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Forbes estimates that less than 10 percent of Woods’ career earnings and net worth have come from winnings on the golf course.
Instead, it’s his hugely marketable brand and endorsements which have seen him reach the historic milestone.
Woods signed with Nike in 1996 and they remain his biggest backer, while he also has big-money deals with TaylorMade, Rolex and Gatorade.
LeBron and Jordan profited from similar endorsements, with Jordan making a well-timed investment in the Charlotte Hornets to see his own personal fortune rocket.
Back in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Tiger Woods was golf.
‘WE’RE TALKING NINE DIGITS’
TV audiences would reportedly drop 30 to 50 percent if he wasn’t playing, so naturally broadcasters were desperate to get him on the box.
And that meant he was hugely popular with brands looking to reach a worldwide audience.
Woods has fifteen Majors to his name, as well as 81 PGA Tour wins and 41 European tour victories.
The crazy offer made by Norman and the LIV Series was rejected by Woods who made his long-awaited return to the game at his year’s Masters.
Norman said: “Woods turned down a deal that was mind-blowingly enormous; we’re talking about high nine digits.
“The players who decide to come on board, God bless them … they’re going to make a lot of money.”
Away from the course, Woods enjoys a luxurious lifestyle that is befitting of his billionaire status.
He lives in the exclusive area of Jupiter, Florida and resides in a stunning $48m mansion.
Not only does it have its own four-hole golf course, but the pad features a 100ft swimming pool, outdoor basketball area and tennis court.
Woods also owns restaurants in the local vicinity and even bought a plot of land nearby to build a forever home for mum Kultida.
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And he’s never far away from where he needs to be with a lavish $63m Gulfstream G550 private jet at his disposal.
The cruiser has a top speed of 680mph and can fly for a whopping 7,767 miles without needing a pit-stop.
Tiger’s comeback was put on hold at the PGA Championship after he was forced to withdraw in the third round.
He said: “Well, I’m sore.
“I know that is for a fact. We’ll do some work and see how it goes.”
Woods has already announced he will not take part in the US Open, which begins on June 16 at Brookline, Massachusetts.
Tiger is back playing again after a near-fatal car accident in early 2021
