Scottie Scheffler is about to beat Tiger Woods’ $121 million career earnings, with a little help from Tiger himself

Scottie Scheffler is on the cusp of surpassing Tiger Woods' career earnings record in the PGA Tour, according to recent reports. Woods leads by a margin of just $1,034,755, with Scheffler earning over $119 million and Woods over $120 million. A top-three finish at the BMW Championship would secure Scheffler's place in the record books.

Scheffler, who has competed in 157 PGA Tour starts, averaging $763,054 per event, is closing in on Woods, who averaged $284,574 per start during his first seven seasons on the Tour. Woods also won 16 more tournaments than Scheffler during that period. Rory McIlroy is the third-highest earner on the list, with $116,488,372. Scheffler acknowledged that the earnings gap is largely due to increasing prize funds, stating that sponsors are willing to pay what the market demands.

The gap in the number of wins between the two players is also significant, with Woods having 82 PGA Tour victories compared to Scheffler's 21. Woods won 75 top-5 finishes, 89 top-10s, and 119 top-25s, while Scheffler achieved 68, 88, and 122 respectively. Woods won 12 runner-ups compared to Scheffler's 15. The increasing prize funds reflect a major shift in the commercial power of professional golf, with Woods playing a crucial role in attracting sponsors, television deals, and global audiences.

The BMW Championship, currently offering a $20 million purse, showcases the dramatic increase in purse values since Woods began his career.