Last year’s British Open champion Ernie Els was South Africa’s highest-earning sportsman in 2012, making 179 million rand ($18.2 million) last year, according to the Sunday Times.
Ernie Els tops South Africa’s sport rich list. Photo: The Associated Press
The four-time major champion earned $14.7 million from endorsements and commercial work like golf course design, and the remaining $3.5 million in tournament winnings, boosted by his victory at the British Open, according to the rich list compiled by the newspaper.
The top four on the South African sports list were golfers. Louis Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion, made $9.8 million in 2012, Retief Goosen $6 million and Charl Schwartzel $5.9 million.
However, they are some way off Tiger Woods, whom Forbes magazine rated in June as global sport’s highest-earning athlete during the preceding 12 months with $78.1 million.
The South African newspaper said its list was compiled using interviews with leading agents as well as figures from the U.S. PGA and other sports bodies. – The Associated Press
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