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08/19 16:35 CDT Scottie Scheffler on the cusp of breaking a PGA Tour mark Tiger
Woods has held for 26 years
Scottie Scheffler on the cusp of breaking a PGA Tour mark Tiger Woods has held
for 26 years
By DOUG FERGUSON
AP Golf Writer
ST. LOUIS (AP) --- Scottie Scheffler is on the cusp of a PGA Tour record Tiger
Woods has held for more than 26 years, one that means next to nothing to the
world's No. 1 player because of so many factors in play.
Scheffler is coming off his 21st career PGA Tour victory, all in the last five
years. Last week's win was worth $3.6 million, the fifth time this year he has
earned $2 million or more. That brought him to within $1,034,756 of surpassing
Woods on the career earnings list.
He could do that with a three-way tie for third in the BMW Championship. Just
don't look for any sparkling wine, much less a celebration. Prize money began
to soar because of Woods, and it spiked with the arrival of LIV Golf. It was a
matter of time.
Besides, that's not the way Scheffler keeps score.
"That has a lot to do with the purses and all that," Scheffler said Wednesday.
"I'm not really too close to him in terms of career wins. What am I, like a
fourth of the way there?"
Close enough. Woods is at 82 wins, tied for the all-time record with Sam Snead.
Money topics at Bellerive Country Club, hosting the BMW Championship for the
first time since 2008, is all about 30 players trying to get to East Lake to
play for a $40 million purse --- $10 million for the winner --- and the FedEx
Cup.
That's not a concern for Scheffler, either, or for the likes of Matt
Fitzpatrick, Cameron Young, Rory McIlroy and a host of others who were among
the top 50 in the FedEx Cup to advance to the second FedEx Cup playoffs event.
But it is to Gary Woodland, still recovering from brain surgery and at No. 31
with a chance to reach the Tour Championship for the first time in six years.
And it is to 46-year-old Adam Scott, the only player in the field who was at
Bellerive for the last BMW Championship.
Getting to East Lake all but assures a spot in all four majors. That's a big
perk, along with the chance to win a $10 million payoff.
"Making the Tour Championship has always been important," Scott said. "It's
always been a marker of your performance throughout the year."
There's a little more at stake for a short list of players --- Scheffler,
Fitzpatrick, Young, perhaps even McIlroy. No one has really stood out as PGA
Tour player of the year. Scheffler moved to the front with his eight-shot win
at the FedEx St. Jude Championship last week. It's only his second win this
year, but it goes along with five runner-up finishes and five other top 4s.
Scheffler has played so well he already is guaranteed the $23 million bonus for
leading the FedEx Cup through the BMW Championship. That doesn't count toward
official earnings.
That number stands at $119,964,411. Perhaps another testament to changing times
is that Woods earned his last official paycheck in the 2024 Masters ($44,000),
moving his total to $120,999,166. Scheffler won the Masters that year and moved
to No. 12 at $57,658,464.
So he has made just over $62.3 million in his last 48 tour starts over two
years and four months. Great golf. Big money. It was a matter of time.
And it really doesn't matter to Scheffler.
"Tiger did a lot for the game of golf and he put us in a position where we're
able to earn some pretty good stuff financially, so that's something we're very
grateful for," Scheffler said. "When you look at where the purses were at
before he came out on tour to where they're at now is a pretty stark
difference. And we're very thankful for his contributions to the game and
hopefully we'll see him back out here competing again soon."
Scheffler's first PGA Tour check was $25,080 for a tie for 43rd at the 2018 St.
Jude Classic. Last place at the BMW Championship this week pays $66,000.
The testament to Woods is how long he kept his name atop the career money list.
He took over for Davis Love III --- Love was at the top for all of two weeks
--- when Woods tied for second in the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines (total
purse was $3 million) on Feb. 13, 2000. Six players in the BMW Championship
field weren't even born then.
Talk of money took Scheffler back to his early days of grinding. He had
financial freedom with an endorsement deal he signed with Nike, so there was no
concern on entry fees in Monday qualifiers or even gas money to get there. But
those were fun times to him.
"Just trying to find my place in the game," Scheffler said.
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