Michael Kim has opened up on his finances (Image: Getty Images)
Professional golfer Michael Kim has revealed the staggering costs of competing on the Tour, disclosing that he spent nearly $100,000 (£74,750) on travel and accommodation in 2024 alone.
The 31-year-old, currently ranked 154th in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), has had a commendable career since turning professional in December 2013.
After two years on the Web.com tour, he joined the PGA Tour in 2016 and has since won one event – the 2018 John Deere Classic. Despite not yet making his mark in major championships, with his best performance being a T17 finish at the 2013 US Open, Kim’s eight-year stint on the PGA Tour has been profitable, reportedly earning him just over $7million (£5.23m).
This includes an impressive $1.48million (£1.11m) during the 2024 season alone, despite his top finish being a T5 at the Shriners Children’s Open at TPC Summerlin in October, according to the Irish Star. However, despite participating in 30 tournaments and making the cut in just over half of them, 2024 was a challenging year for Kim.
Adding to his woes is the eye-watering amount he’s spent on travel and accommodation throughout the season. Kim shared a screenshot of a $92,698.11 (£69,292.79) bill for flights and hotels for tournaments in 2024 on social media.
He remarked: “This is my spending on flights and hotels for 30 tournaments in 2024. Zero dollars spent on private flights, and rarely business class. Can’t imagine some of the top guys’ costs… At least I’m racking up some CC points!”
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Michael Kim has explained exactly how much it costs to play on the PGA Tour (Image: Getty Images)
In a further observation on the monetary demands of his profession, Kim revealed that his last year’s expenditures were even greater due to extra travel commitments, noting: “Last year was a touch higher due to me going to the Open Championship and playing 32 events.”
Amidst this financial disclosure, Kim has recently been clear about his lack of enthusiasm for the PGA Tour getting cozy with LIV Golf, with world No. 3 pointing out that certain players prefer to keep the two apart.
Rory McIlroy has spoken about the opposition to the merger previously (Image: Getty)
Providing insight into his personal standoff, Kim made it known: “Do I want a deal? My short answer is no but I don’t care much.”
He elaborated that regardless of any potential merge: “Whether the tour and LIV make a deal or not, it will not affect my bottom line. It won’t change my schedule in the slightest bit and won’t change my earnings. This realistically only affects the top 30ish golfers on the PGA Tour and they’ll probably make more money after this deal.”
He also questioned the impact on the PGA Tour’s appeal if players from LIV returned, casting doubt: “You can make the argument that if the players come back, it’ll be better for the PGA Tour, and bring more interest but I find that hard to believe. It’s not gonna be a big mashup, it’s only going to be for a few events with a big purse if I were to guess. How many LIV guys actually affect ratings and events? Phil [Mickelson] Bryson [DeChambeau], [Jon] Rahm?
“Will it increase ratings and earnings by more than 1 per cent? Sure, the first couple events would be cool but after that? I might be totally wrong but that’s my opinion.”
Kim opines that rather than a merger, the PGA Tour ought to pour resources into television production. However, should an agreement come to pass, he takes a firm stance, adding, “I just think there needs to be a consequence to their decision to leave and sue the tour. You can call that petty but the LIV guys sued the PGA Tour mainly for their PIP (Player Impact Programme) money. The same PGA Tour that was the reason why you even got the big payday in the first place. That’s just as petty in my eyes.”
In a significant development, it is reported more than 18 months on, talks about a merger seem to be entering the home stretch. Earlier this month, Bloomberg has claimed that PIF is on track to acquire a six per cent stake in PGA Tour Enterprises. This monumental deal would peg PGA Tour Enterprises’ value at a staggering $12bn.