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Only five golfers feature in Forbes’ annual list of the world’s highest paid athletes.

Perhaps unsurprisingly Tiger Woods, who has topped this list many times in the past, is the highest of those.

With combined earnings of $43.3m over the last year – $1.3m in on-course earnings, $42m in endorsements – former world No.1 Woods ranks 16th, sandwiched between boxer Canelo Alvarez ($44.5m) and American football star Drew Brees ($42.9m).

Phil Mickelson is the next highest golfer in 22nd place ($41.3m, $4.3m/$37m), one spot ahead of reigning Open champion Jordan Spieth ($41.2m, $11.2m/$30m).

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In 26th place, Rory McIlroy is the next highest golfer. The four-time major winner has banked $37.5m over the last year, including $3.7m in on-course earnings and $34m in endorsements.

Current world No.1 Justin Thomas rounds out the golf contingent on the list in 66th place. His $26m in earnings comprises $21m on the course and approximately $5m off it.

Floyd Mayweather

The ranking is topped this year by boxer Floyd Mayweather, above. Appropriately nicknamed ‘Money’, Mayweather made $285m last year – more than two-and-a-half times the earnings of the second athlete on the list, footballer Lionel Messi.

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Cristiano Ronaldo is third, with the man Mayweather beat in a mega-bucks fight in Las Vegas last August, Conor McGregor, in fourth spot.

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Brazilian footballer Neymar rounded out the top five.

For the first time in the history of the ranking, the top 100 features no female athletes.

The ranking aggregates all prize money, salaries and bonuses earned between June 1, 2017, and June 1, 2018, and only fetures athletes active at any point during the last 12 months.

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Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

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