Scottie Scheffler isn't just playing golf; he's etching his name into the golden annals of the PGA Tour and, in doing so, he's chasing two of the game's greatest legends. The American is on the verge of breaking Tiger Woods' career earnings record and eclipsing Rory McIlroy – at none other than the 2026 FedEx St. Jude Championship. A victory in Memphis would catapult Scheffler to a staggering $119,964,411. While this would still leave him $1.04 million short of Tiger's all-time record of $120,999,166, the gap is dramatically narrowing.
Currently, the top three on the PGA Tour's career earnings list read like a true who's who of the sport: Tiger Woods sits atop with $120,999,166, followed by Rory McIlroy with $116,446,772. Scottie Scheffler is in third place with $116,364,411, a mere $82,000 behind Rory – notably before the final round in Memphis. Incidentally, Woods has led this list since February 13, 2000, an era that could soon come to an end.
Chasing the Legendary Millions
Scheffler isn't just chasing prize money records; he's also performing on the course like clockwork. At the 2026 FedEx St. Jude Championship, he leads after three rounds with an impressive 13-under-par (197 strokes). He kicked off with a phenomenal round of 61 strokes, a true statement that immediately propelled him to the top of the leaderboard, where he remained until Sunday evening.
The New Purses
After Memphis, two more playoff events await where Scheffler can continue to cash in: The BMW Championship and the Tour Championship. Both the FedEx St. Jude Championship and the BMW Championship offer $20 million in prize money. The Tour Championship tops it all off with a massive $40 million, with the winner alone taking home $10 million. This is the stuff legends are made of and explains why prize money is skyrocketing so quickly in this new era of golf.
