Scheffler enters the tournament with $119,964,411 in official PGA Tour career earnings, just over $1 million behind Woods’ record of $120,999,166. Woods has held the top position on the PGA Tour’s career money list since February 2000.
The American golfer moved into second place on the career earnings list after winning the FedEx St. Jude Championship last weekend. His victory earned him $3.6 million, taking his career total beyond Rory McIlroy’s earnings and closer to Woods’ mark.
Scheffler can make history in St. Louis
The BMW Championship, which runs from August 20 to 23 at Bellerive Country Club, features the top 50 players in the FedExCup standings.
The tournament has a $20 million purse, with the winner receiving $3.6 million.
Because of the size of the prize money, Scheffler does not necessarily need to win the tournament to surpass Woods. A strong finish could be enough to move him into first place on the all-time PGA Tour career earnings list.
Scheffler has also arrived in St. Louis in excellent form. He dominated the St. Jude Championship last week, finishing 17 under par and eight shots ahead of Si Woo Kim to claim his 21st PGA Tour title.
Scheffler plays down comparisons with Woods
Despite being close to breaking Woods’ earnings record, Scheffler has played down comparisons between himself and the golf legend.
The 30-year-old acknowledged that Woods helped transform professional golf and significantly contributed to the increase in prize money during his career. Scheffler said the financial comparison does not necessarily mean he has surpassed Woods as a player.
There is also a major difference between their achievements. Woods has 82 PGA Tour victories, while Scheffler currently has 21.
The earnings record therefore reflects not only a player’s success but also how much prize money has increased over the decades.
Rory McIlroy also chasing history
Scheffler’s rise has also pushed Rory McIlroy into third place on the PGA Tour’s career earnings list.
McIlroy currently has around $116.49 million in official PGA Tour earnings. He struggled at last week’s St. Jude Championship, finishing 66th, and will be looking to bounce back at Bellerive.
The BMW Championship is also important because only the top 30 players in the FedExCup standings will advance to the season-ending Tour Championship.
With Scheffler defending his BMW Championship title and chasing Woods’ record, the tournament has added significance beyond the FedExCup race.
If Scheffler manages to overtake Woods this week, it will mark another major milestone in the career of the current world No. 1.
