What is Johnny Miller's Net Worth?
Johnny Miller is a former professional golfer who has a net worth of $20 million. Johnny Miller, also known as John Laurence Miller, was one of the top players in the world in the 1970s. Among his achievements, he won 25 PGA Tour events and was the first player to shoot 63 in a major championship, which he did to win the 1973 US Open. He first established himself on the junior golf circuit. He joined the Olympic Club in 1963 at age 16 and quickly became their premier player. He went on to win the U.S. Junior Amateur title. He qualified for the 1966 U.S. Open and tied for 8th place. He went on to attend Brigham Young University and graduated with a degree in Physical Education in the late 60s. He turned pro in 1969, and went on to win 25 PGA Tour events, one European Tour event, and one Japan Golf Tour event, among others. He tied for 2nd Place at the Masters Tournament three times, in 1971, 1975, and 1981. He also tied for 11th at the PGA Championship in 1977. He won the U.S. Open in 1973 and The Open Championship in 1976. He was named PGA Player of the Year in 1974, and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1996. After his playing career, Miller became the lead golf analyst on NBC Sports from 1990 to 2019.
Early Life
Johnny Miller was born on April 29, 1947 in San Francisco, California. As an adolescent, he attended Abraham Lincoln High School. Miller went to Brigham Young University for his higher education, graduating in 1969 with a degree in physical education.
Junior Career
Miller began his golf career in 1963 when he was invited to join San Francisco's Olympic Club as a Junior Golf Section member. He quickly became the top player on the junior team, winning the San Francisco city junior title at the age of 16. The next year, Miller won the US Junior Amateur Championship. As a freshman in college, he qualified for the 1966 US Open, where his firsthand knowledge of the San Francisco course helped him finish tied for eighth place. In 1968, Miller won the California Amateur Championship.
PGA Tour
At the age of 22 in 1969, Miller joined the PGA Tour. He won his first PGA event in 1971 at the Southern Open Invitational, and the same year tied for second at the Masters. The following year, he won the Sea Pines Heritage Classic. Miller's best career year was 1973, when he won the US Open. In the final round of the championship, he came back from 12th place by shooting an incredible eight-under 63, passing all the day's leading players on his way to winning the championship title. Miller's 63 was the lowest round to ever win a major championship. He followed that victory by tying for second at the British Open one month later. Miller continued his success in 1974, becoming the leading money winner on the PGA Tour with eight total victories. He kicked off the next year with three more wins, including the Phoenix Open and the Tucson Open. Miller went on to come in second at the 1975 Masters and third at the British Open.
After years of finishing in the top ten, Miller finally won the British Open in 1976. Played during a scorching heat wave in the UK, a number of small fires broke out during the tournament. This would be Miller's final major title, as his form significantly declined over the subsequent years. He thought about quitting during his slump from 1977 to 1979, but forged ahead with inspiration from the Bible. In 1980, Miller recorded his first win in nearly four years by claiming Jackie Gleason's Inverrary Classic. He had one final excellent season in 1981, winning the Million Dollar Challenge to become the year's top money winner in the world, and coming in second at the Masters. Moreover, Miller led the United States to a historic victory in the Ryder Cup. Upon his semi-retirement in 1990, he had amassed 25 PGA Tour wins and 105 top-ten finishes during his career. Miller later made a notable return to the PGA in 1994 when he won his second AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
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Post-PGA Career
After semi-retiring from the PGA in 1990, Miller became the lead golf analyst on NBC Sports. During his 29-year tenure in that position, he was known for his frequently brusque and vitriolic commentary. This occasionally drew the ire of players, such as when he referred to Rocco Mediate as "looking like the guy who cleans Tiger Woods's pool." In addition to his broadcast career, Miller penned a column for Golf Digest magazine for a number of years, and wrote a book entitled "I Call the Shots."
On the business side of things, Miller is a partner in a limited partnership that bought Napa, California's Silverado Country Club in 2010. The resort has hosted multiple PGA tournaments. Among his other ventures, Miller owns a golf design company and golf academy. A golf course architect, he has helped design over 30 courses, including at Silverado.
Personal Life
With his wife Linda, Miller has six children. The family lives on the Monterey Peninsula in California. Miller belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
