The pursuit of the PGA Tour's all-time records is taking on a new dimension: Scottie Scheffler is on the verge of breaking a seemingly insurmountable Tiger Woods record and needs only $1,034,755 in additional official PGA Tour prize money to surpass Woods' all-time mark. With a current career total of $119,964,411, he is just a stone's throw behind Tiger's $120,999,166.
Scheffler recently closed the gap rapidly after a very strong win in Memphis. Many expected him to pass Woods during the FedEx Cup playoffs, without even having to win another tournament. The BMW Championship's prize purse of $20 million is a real game-changer, with the winner taking home a hefty $3.6 million. A top finish would therefore easily be enough to pulverize Woods' mark.
The Numbers Game vs. Legacy
This is purely about official PGA Tour prize money, without considering inflation or other ancillary income. And there's a catch: If inflation is factored in, Tiger Woods, with an estimated $207 million in today's dollars, would still be light-years ahead, while Scheffler stands at around $131 million. So the chase isn't for the inflationary giant, but for the raw number. And very important: It's an earnings record, not a title record. Because when it comes to wins, Tiger Woods is still tied with Sam Snead at 82 victories – a mark that will likely stand forever.
Dramatic Turn in Chicago
Scheffler had started the BMW Championship full of confidence, determined to attack this record this week. But golf fate, as is well known, is a fickle caddie. According to a recent report, after Round Two of the BMW Championship, things looked bleak – Scheffler was reportedly buried near the bottom of the leaderboard. What a twist! The chance is still there, but the course is apparently anything but a walk in the park.
