AUSTIN, TEXAS: Phil Mickelson, a popular golfer with numerous field records, gained popularity after leaving the PGA Tour and joining the LIV Golf Series, reportedly to take advantage of financial incentives offered by the Saudi Arabia-funded league.

During an episode of his podcast, 'The Joe Rogan Experience', Joe Rogan discussed Mickelson's income and endorsements. Learning about his income, the podcast host was stunned.

Joe Rogan discusses income of golfers

Rogan sat down with baseball player, Mike Schmidt, for an episode of 'The Joe Rogan Experience' and they talked about how much money golfers made both inside and outside of the sport.

It turns out that endorsements and brand partnerships provide the majority of players at the top of the leaderboard with their primary sources of money.

The episode featured a ranking of Forbes' "highest-paid athletes" for 2016.

Only $2.9M of Mickelson's $52.9M in earnings, according to the data, came from competing in golf events. The remaining $50M came from endorsement partnerships with brands and other connected transactions.

When Rogan saw the salaries listed for Mickelson and other golfers, he was astounded. Rogan remarked, “It’s amazing how much money those f*****g golfers make.”

Phil Mickelson remained top earner in 2016

Prior to 2016, Mickelson went a period of time without taking home many victories. However, when it came to earning money, he was still in first place.

Tiger Woods, on the other hand, earned $45.3M in the same year, of which $45M came from sponsorships and $300,000 came from playing golf, according to Essentially Sports.

The LIV Golf Invitational Series has the potential to bring Mickelson a large paycheck. However, due to a recent choice, he lost several of his key sponsors.

Mickelson's longest-standing sponsor, KPMG, cut ties with the athlete as soon as he confirmed the news about joining the league supported by Saudi Arabia.

Soon after, Mickelson also lost his contracts with Workday and Heineken/Amstel Light.