How debut LIV Golf win in Riyadh made Elvis Smylie’s bank balance soar and his ranking plummet and made him reset his goals for 2026
Rising Australian golfer Elvis Smylie is aiming to break into the world’s top 50 golfers by the end of March to qualify for this year’s US Masters after victory at the first LIV Tournament in Riyadh.
His stunning LIV Golf performance at the weekend lifted Smylie from 133rd to 77th in the world and was good timing for the 23-year-old; the same week the Official World Golf Rankings decided to recognize the rebel tour’s tournaments for the first time.
After a spectacular start to the tour, Elvis Smylie returns home for LIV Adelaide.Credit: Getty Images
“Masters is something that’s on my mind right now. It’s a conversation I can start having, and that fuels the fire for me,” Smylie said Tuesday.
Not only have his rankings soared, but Smylie’s four rounds in Riyadh have earned him more than double what he earned playing golf through 2025.
He claimed the $4 million winner’s check plus a percentage of the $3 million prize money Ripper GC won by hitting a 10-foot putt to stop fast-finishing Jon Rahm.
The cash he pocketed in Riyadh dwarfed the $1.75 million he earned playing 25 tournaments in the European and US PGA last year and was a huge increase over the $340,000 he earned by winning the 2024 Australian PGA.
The estimated purse of $5 million is serious money for a 23-year-old, especially when you consider that former Australian golfer Greg Norman’s career earnings are $14,484,458. Current Australian golfer Min Woo Lee earned $1.71 million in prize money when he earned his first PGA Tour win in Texas last season.
Lee’s career earnings are $9,185,496 and he earned his PGA Tour card through the DP World Tour in 2024.
