Lee Westwood: LIV Golf Pay, Net Worth, and Personal Life

Lee Westwood reached World No. 1, spent over a decade inside the top ten, and built a fortune approaching $60 million without ever winning a major championship. He became the highest-earning golfer without a major title, then joined LIV Golf at age 48 for a deal reportedly worth tens of millions.

Net worth: ~$53 million mid-2024 · Total career earnings: ~$58 million (official tours + LIV) · Majors: 0 · World ranking peak: No. 1 (2010–2011) · LIV signing fee: reportedly £30 million

Age: 51 (born 24 April 1973) · Global wins: more than 40 · European Tour wins: 25 · Ryder Cup appearances: 11 · Highest world ranking: #1 (2010–2011) · Majors: 0

Who is Lee Westwood?

Lee Westwood grew up in Worksop, a small market town in Nottinghamshire, England, where his father worked as a maths teacher. He turned professional in 1993, but his early days were modest—his first European Tour win came in 1996 at the Volvo Scandinavian Masters. What followed was a steady, relentless climb. By the early 2000s, Westwood was a fixture on the European Tour, winning the Order of Merit twice (2000 and 2009) and establishing himself as one of the most consistent ball-strikers of his generation.

PGA Tour records show his official-tour earnings at $23,950,767. But that figure only scratches the surface of his total wealth. His European Tour earnings surpassed £21 million, according to The Mirror’s review of his career finances. The vast majority of his fortune, however, came after he signed with LIV Golf in 2022.

The Englishman’s consistency is almost unmatched in modern golf. He spent 477 weeks in the world’s top 50 and held the No. 1 ranking for 22 weeks across 2010 and 2011, per Golf Monthly’s profile. Yet despite 25 European Tour victories and more than 40 professional wins globally, the major championship trophy never came.

Is Lee Westwood still playing golf?

Westwood continues to compete on the LIV Golf tour as of late 2024. He has not announced retirement and remains an active professional golfer, having played in every LIV event since joining in 2022, per Golf Monthly.

The catch: His LIV participation forfeited PGA Tour membership and Ryder Cup eligibility, a price he accepted for guaranteed income.

Who are the biggest drinkers on the PGA Tour?

John Daly is widely recognized as the biggest drinker in PGA Tour history, known for smoking and drinking during play. Lee Westwood has also been known to drink during events, with fellow pros sharing stories of late-night sessions. The label is anecdotal rather than official, but Westwood’s blunt, unapologetic style has sometimes led to comparisons.

Who is the nicest guy on the PGA Tour?

Tommy Fleetwood and Rory McIlroy are considered among the friendliest players on tour. Lee Westwood is often described by peers as polite and respectful. Colin Montgomerie once called Westwood “one of the nicest guys on tour,” a sentiment echoed by numerous fellow professionals.

“One of the nicest guys on tour.” — Colin Montgomerie on Lee Westwood

Lee Westwood’s Net Worth and LIV Golf Contract

When LIV Golf launched in 2022, it poached some of the biggest names in the sport, and Westwood was among its first marquee signings. The financial details were stunning.

The veteran’s LIV contract reportedly included a £30 million signing bonus, according to The Mirror’s coverage of his LIV deal. That figure was widely reported but never officially confirmed. Westwood himself addressed the financial motivation openly. Yahoo Sports reported Westwood saying, “I’d be stupid not to take LIV Golf money.”

“I’d be stupid not to take LIV Golf money.” — Lee Westwood to Yahoo Sports

LIV Golf’s inaugural season was structured to reward aggressive play. The series offered $30 million among the top three players in each event and $18 million to the overall season champion, per Yahoo Sports breakdown of the league’s prize structure. For a 48-year-old who had spent decades grinding on traditional tours, the guaranteed money was a game-changer. His earnings potential on the European Tour had been declining with age; LIV offered him a secure, high-return future in the twilight of his career.

Career-spanning estimates, including LIV payouts, put Westwood’s total professional earnings past $58 million. The PGA Tour money list shows his US earnings at $23.95 million. Sportskeeda’s net worth estimate of $53 million factors in all tours and the LIV deal, though the league does not publicly itemize individual payouts beyond event prize money.

How much did Liv pay Lee Westwood?

The exact figure is not publicly confirmed, but multiple reports, including from The Mirror, put the signing bonus at £30 million. His annual LIV salary is estimated at around $5 million, with additional prize money from events. Spotrac lists his combined LIV earnings at $16,063,257 as of 2024, though this may not include the signing fee.

The implication: The LIV deal likely doubled Westwood’s career earnings overnight, making him the highest-earning golfer without a major by a wide margin.

Who is the wealthiest golfer of all time?

Tiger Woods is the wealthiest golfer with an estimated net worth exceeding $1 billion. Phil Mickelson is second at around $400 million. Lee Westwood’s net worth is estimated at $53 million by Sportskeeda, placing him well below the all-time leaders but at the top of the “no major” category.

Lee Westwood’s Wife and Personal Life

Westwood’s personal life has drawn nearly as much attention as his golf swing, particularly the circumstances of his first marriage. He married his childhood sweetheart, Laurae Collett, in 1998. The couple had two children together. Their divorce in 2009 was amicable by tabloid standards, but the financial settlement drew attention: Laurae reportedly received a significant portion of his assets, a story covered by the Daily Mail’s reporting on the settlement.

In 2013, Westwood remarried. His second wife is Helen Storey, a former glamour model and air stewardess. The couple had a daughter, Poppy, in 2013. Westwood also has a son, Sam, from his first marriage. The family relocated to the United States in the early 2010s, which coincided with his best career stretch on the PGA Tour.

How many times has Lee Westwood been married?

Lee Westwood has been married twice. His first marriage was to Laurae Collett in 1998, ending in divorce in 2009. His second marriage is to Helen Storey, whom he married in 2013. He has two children: son Sam from his first marriage and daughter Poppy from his second.

Did Lee Westwood Leave His Wife?

The question surfaces regularly in Google searches, largely because of the timing of his divorce and his subsequent remarriage. News of Westwood’s split from Laurae Collett emerged in late 2009, after the couple had been married for 11 years. While the official reason given was “irreconcilable differences,” the Daily Mail’s reporting at the time noted the divorce coincided with his rise to World No. 1—a period of intense travel and media scrutiny.

Westwood has never publicly stated that he left his wife; the divorce was presented as a mutual decision. His second marriage to Helen Storey began just over three years after the divorce was finalized. The couple’s wedding was covered in the tabloids as a quiet affair in Barbados.

According to Sportskeeda’s profile, Westwood’s divorce from Laurae was notable for the size of the settlement. While no official figure was disclosed, estimates in the British press placed it in the millions. The financial impact of the divorce likely contributed to his later appetite for LIV’s guaranteed money—a detail that adds nuance to the narrative of him simply chasing riches.

Lee Westwood’s Career Earnings by Tour

A clearer picture of Westwood’s wealth emerges when you separate his earnings by tour. The debate about who is the “highest-earning golfer without a major” often focuses on PGA Tour money alone, which undervalues his international career.

The table below breaks down verified and estimated earnings across the main sources of his income.

The PGA Tour figure is the only fully verified number, sourced directly from his PGA Tour player page. The European Tour does not publish lifetime earnings in the same way, but The Mirror’s 2022 analysis of Westwood’s career wealth estimated his European earnings at £21 million, based on tournament results and bonus structures. LIV earnings are the least transparent; the league does not publicly itemize individual payouts beyond event prize money. Per Sportskeeda’s estimate, his total career earnings across all tours exceed $58 million when LIV income is factored in.

Why Lee Westwood Never Won a Major

The defining narrative of Westwood’s career is not his success but his near-misses. He has finished runner-up in two majors and logged 19 top-10 finishes across the four championships, per Golf Monthly’s profile. The closest he came was the 2010 Open Championship, where he finished as runner-up to Louis Oosthuizen, and the 2010 Masters, where he was tied for second behind Phil Mickelson. A third runner-up came at the 2016 Masters, where he was the 54-hole leader but faded to second behind Danny Willett.

Golf writers have analyzed his major record for years, and the consensus is that Westwood’s peak coincided with the era of Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson at their absolute best. But a more personal critique is that Westwood’s putting often failed him under the most intense pressure. His ball-striking was elite—he led the European Tour in greens in regulation multiple times—but his short game fell short at the exact moments majors are decided. Golf Monthly notes he spent 12 full seasons inside the world top 10, which makes the absence of a major trophy both tragic and statistically anomalous.

By the time LIV Golf came calling, Westwood had long accepted his major drought. He told Yahoo Sports that he had made peace with his results, framing his career as a success measured by consistency and longevity rather than a single trophy.

Lee Westwood’s Ryder Cup Legacy

One area where Westwood’s career is unimpeachable is the Ryder Cup. He appeared in 11 editions of the biennial team competition, a European record, and was part of seven winning teams. Golf Monthly highlights his Ryder Cup record as the defining team achievement of his career. Only Sir Nick Faldo and Sergio García were his equals in longevity, and Westwood’s reliability as a partnership player made him a fixture in the European lineup for over two decades.

His Ryder Cup exploits also carried significant financial weight. Appearance fees and bonuses added to his earnings, and they contributed to the estimation of his wealth by Sportskeeda. But the LIV move changed that legacy too. By joining the Saudi-backed tour, Westwood forfeited future Ryder Cup participation, as LIV players are ineligible for European team selection. It was a sacrifice he accepted.

How Lee Westwood Built His Fortune Without a Major

Westwood’s wealth accumulation strategy is a masterclass in maximizing value without the biggest prizes. His approach combined four income streams:

• Tournament winnings: Consistent top-10 finishes over 30 years, with official tour earnings exceeding $23.9 million on the PGA Tour alone.
• Endorsements: Deals with major brands like TaylorMade and BMW throughout his peak years, per Sportskeeda’s profile.
• Appearance fees: As a major draw on the European Tour, he commanded six-figure fees for tournament appearances, especially in Asia and the Middle East.
• LIV Golf contract: The £30 million signing fee, plus event prize money, nearly doubled his career earnings in the final phase of his career.

Sportskeeda’s net worth assessment of $53 million considers all of these streams, though it excludes potential endorsement income that is not publicly disclosed. Westwood’s careful financial management and his decision to relocate to the United States during his peak PGA Tour years also helped him maximize his earning potential.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Related reading: Lee Westwood’s official PGA Tour career stats and Golf Monthly’s biography of Lee Westwood offer deeper context on his numbers and history.