Despite February horror crash – Golf hero Tiger Woods earned massive sum in 2021

Despite being unable to prowl courses on the PGA Tour due to his injuries, Tiger’s roaring sponsorship earnings made sure he remains one of the world’s highest-paid athletes

Tiger Woods was one of the highest-paid sportspeople in 2021 – despite barely swinging a golf club throughout the whole year.

The American was involved in a major 80mph smash in California last February, which caused his luxury SUV to roll over.

He escaped with his life, but he had broken bones in both his legs and spent much of the rest of the year recovering.

Woods exceeded some expectations by being able to pick up and swing a golf club again, and was spotted playing with son Charlie at a father/son event just before Christmas.

But the crash prevented him from playing in a single Tour event in 2021, and he has now slipped to 704th in the world rankings.

His lack of activity on the course has not hampered his earning potential by much, though, as he remains one of the best-paid athletes on the planet.

Forbes has released its annual list of highest-paid sportspeople, and Woods – who has been a mainstay of such rankings in the past – once again made the cut.

He came in at joint-12th with fellow Nike-sponsored athlete Naomi Osaka, ahead of basketballer Russell Westbrook and big-name quarterback Patrick Mahomes in the top 15.

Forbes says Woods earned just over £44m in 2021, with just £147k of that coming in the form of prize money and the rest from his huge sponsorship deals.

He is one of several Americans in the top 15, with NFL stars Tom Brady and Dak Prescott included along with NBA pair Steph Curry and Kevin Durant.