Tiger Woods, despite his mediocre play, injuries and lost endorsements, is still the No. 1 paid sportsman in the US, taking home a tidy $62.3 million in the past year in winnings and endorsements, according to a report out Thursday.
While the scandal-scarred golfer's winnings in the past 12 months fell to $2.3 million, according to Sports Illustrated, his massive $60 million in endorsements, from Nike, EA Sports and others, kept him No. 1 for the eighth straight year.
Fellow golfer Phil Mickelson finished a close second, with total income of $61.2 million. Unlike Woods, Mickelson is "one of the most reliable endorsers in pro sports," the report said.
Mickelson has landed hefty endorsement deals from Callaway, KPMG, Rolex, Barclays Capital, ExxonMobil and Amgen/Pfizer.
Miami Heat standout LeBron James, despite his much maligned moved from Cleveland, earned $44.5 million to sit third, while Peyton Manning of the Indianapolis Colts, at $38 million, and Yankees favorite Alex Rodriguez, at $36 million, rounded out the top five.
