TIGER TAKES A HIT BUT HE'S STILL GOLF'S TOP EARNER IN 2010

FROM SKYSPORTS.COM and GOLF DIGEST WEBSITES

Despite a pay cut of $48million and failing to win a single tournament, Tiger Woods has again emerged as golf's top earner in 2010.

Woods' earnings took a dent after losing his swing and his marriage but he still managed to make $74.2million, according to Golf Digest magazine's annual list, compiled by Ron Sirak.
The American World No 2 received just $2.29m from tournament purses, the bulk of his income coming through endorsements and appearance fees.
Woods, who celebrated his 35th birthday yesterday, saw his total annual income plummet from a staggering $121.9m in 2009 after he was engulfed by a sex and infidelity scandal.
The furore caused firms such as AT and T and Accenture to end sponsorship deals with the 14-time major tournament champion, costing him up to $35m in annual revenue.
Tiger was, however, still paid more than $60million in 2010 by Nike, Electronic Arts, Procter and Gamble's Gillette, Berkshire Hathaway's NetJets unit, LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton's Tag Heuer, Upper Deck and TLC Laser Vision Centers.
Procter and Gamble have since announced that the Gillette sponsorship will not be renewed in 2011.
(If rumours of a $110 million settlement with ex-wife Elin Nordegren are true, then Woods made some $48 million less than the settlement).
The Golf Digest list is compiled through interviews with agents, players, executives of companies involved with endorsements, industry analysts, plus the official money lists of the leading professional tours.
Fellow American Phil Mickelson was second on the list, with total earnings of $40.18m with 81-year-old Arnold Palmer ($36m) third despite not playing in one official golf tournament.

They are followed Greg Norman ($30m), Jack Nicklaus ($25.17m) and Jim Furyk with $23.58m. Furyk jumped up to No 6 position in the money income table, thanks in large part to that big bonus for winning the FedEx Cup.
Other players featured in the top 50 include South Africans Ernie Els seventh ($21.5m) and Gary Player eighth ($15.0m), England's Lee Westwood. No 1 the world pro rankings but only ninth ($14.73m) in this table, and Ireland's Padraig Harrington ($11.61m) in 12th position.

Of course, sometimes there's a lag between success on the course and a player cashing in. Graeme McDowell ($9,714,379 total) went from unranked to No. 14 following a dream season that included claiming the U.S. Open and becoming a Ryder Cup hero.
But you can be sure the native of Northern Ireland will easily crack the $10 million barrier next year when the new endorsements he's picked up start to kick in.
Same goes for Matt Kuchar and Martin Kaymer, who each earned more than $9 million this year despite making a relatively small amount from things other than tournament earnings. And who knew the soft-spoken and not-particularly-flashy Zach Johnson made more money off the course ($4.5 million) than Michelle Wie? But regardless if a player saw his/her earnings rise or fall in 2010, one thing is for sure. If you're on this list, you're doing pretty well for yourself.
Alex Myers

GOLF'S TOP EARNERS IN 2010 - AND HOW THEY DID IT

                                  ON COURSE............OFF COURSE............ TOTAL
1 Tiger Woods        $2,294,116 ............. $72,000,000 ........... $74,294,116
2 Phil Mickelson      $4,185,933.............. $36,000,000 ........... $40,185,933
3 Arnold Palmer      Nil ......................... $36,000,000 ........... $36,000,000
4 Greg Norman       $9,270 ................... $30,000,000 ........... $30,009,270
5 Jack Nicklaus       $175,000 ................ $25,000,000 ............ $25,175,000
6 Jim Furyk            $16,334,622 ............ $7,250,000 .............. $23,584,622
7 Ernie Els             $7,505,032 ............. $14,000,000 ............. $21,505,302.
8 Gary Player         $14,350 .................. $15,000,000 ............. $15,014,350
9 Lee Westwood     $9,232,115 ............  $5,500,000 .............. $14,732,115
10 Luke Donald      $8,300,200 .............. $4,200,000 .............. $12,500,200
11 Sergio Garcia     $1,530,077 .............. $10,500,000 ............ $12,020,077
12 Padraig Harrington $3,360,348 ........... $8,250,000 ............. $11,610,348
13 Camilo Villegas $3,917,436 ............... $6,250,000 ............. $10,167,436
14 Graeme McDowell $7,714,379 ............ $2,000,000 ............. $9,714,379
15 Matt Kuchar         $8,177,477 ............ $1,250,000 ............. $9,427,477
16 Martin Kaymer      $7,082,949 ........... $2,250,000 .............. $9,332,949
17 Fred Couples        $3,317,300 ........... $6,000,000 .............. $9,317,000
18 Ian Poulter          $5,572,796............. $3,400,000 ............. $8,972,796
19 Davis Love III      $1,344,472 ............ $7,500,000 ............. $8,844,472
20 Adam Scott          $3,928,567  ........... $4,800,000.............. $8,728,567
21 Paul Casey           $6,440,895............. $2,225,000 ............. $8,665,895.
22 Steve Stricker       $5,625,235 ............ $2,800,000 ............. $8,425,235
23 Anthony Kim        $3,147,742 ............ $5,200,000 .............  $8,347,742
24 Rory McIlroy         $5,434,517 ............ $2,750,000 .............  $8,184,517
25 Zach Johnson       $3,655,743 ............ $4,500,000 .............  $8,155,743
Selected totals
29 Nick Faldo           Nil ........................ $7,500,000 .............  $7,500,000
31 Tom Watson        $1,151,628 ............ $6,000,000 .............  $7,151,628
32 Justin Rose          $4,365,741 ............ $2,804,000 .............  $7,165,741
36 Colin Montgomerie $227,049 .............. $6,000,000 .............  $6,227,049
37 Bernhard Langer    $3,648,935 ........... $2,500,000 .............  $6,148,939

LEADING LADIES
39 Annika Sorenstam  Nil ...................... $5,750,000 .............. $5,750,000
41 Paula Creamer      $875,140  ............. $4,750,000 .............. $5,625,140
50 Michelle Wie        $888,016 .............. $4,000,000 ..............  $4,888,016