withdrew from the U.S. Open and missed the cut at the British Open. While he did not play for the remainder of the year, his star power is still undeniable, and the soon-tobe-47Woods draws more attention than any other player by an order of magnitude. According to Forbes magazine his net worth topped $1 billion thus joining Lebron James and Michael Jordan in that exclusive club. 3. Lydia Ko: She’s Baaack! Lydia Ko had all but disappeared from view on the LPGA Tour, but reasserted herself with three wins in 2022, as well as winning the seasonending CME Championship and the $2 million first place check. After 14 wins her first four seasons, she admittedly struggled and was only able to take the top spot twice in the next five years and 109 starts. That’s all changed now since she overtook Nelly Korda as number one in the Rolex World Rankings and is this season’s leading money winner. 4. Phil Mickelson: A Damaged Legacy Just a few months after winning the 2021 PGA Championship, Phil Mickelson succeeded in shooting himself in the foot multiple times last year. He not only bolted to the LIV series, but made several outrageous comments about the PGA Tour, while trying to rationalize LIV’s connection and funding by the Saudi Arabian government. Mickelson lost sponsorships with KPMG, Callaway and Workday plus was fired as spokesman for the American Express event on the PGA Tour. Last year, as the reigning PGA Champion, he did not play in The Players, the Masters, nor defend his title at the PGA Championship. He did tee it up at the U.S. Open and the OPEN Championships, but missed the cut at both. Some even speculate that Lefty’s gambling debts were a factor for grabbing the reported $200 million in cash for signing with LIV Golf. 5. Scottie Scheffler Player of the Year with Rory McIlroy Number One Scotty Scheffler won the WGC Match Play Championship for his third win in 42 days. He took over the top spot of the World Golf Ranking, plus led in prize money for 2021-2022 with $14 million. His fourth win of the season at the Masters was a thrill for all golf fans even those numbed by CBS’s Tiger-centric coverage that featured multiple replays of Woods walking from the 72nd green to the clubhouse. Rory McIlroy overtook Scheffler in the world golf rankings with victories in the Tour Championship, Canadian Open and CJ Cup which also gave him
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