ATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 30: Scottie Scheffler of the United States lifts the trophy after winning the final round of the TOUR Championship 2026 at East Lake Golf Club on August 30, 2026 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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Scottie Scheffler wins the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club, his third victory of the season, putting him ahead of Tiger Woods in overall career earnings.
“It’s really difficult to win out here. I feel like, when I’m close, it can be almost even more frustrating,” Scheffler said in an article by The New York Times.
Scheffler took home $10 million in prize money with his victory Sunday, pushing his total career earnings to $130.4 million and surpassing Woods’ $121.0 million in career earnings. Adjusted for inflation, Scheffler still has work to do, as Woods’ earnings would have eclipsed $195 million in 2026 dollars.
Scheffler finishes the PGA Tour regular season with three wins, five second-place finishes and 13 top-five finishes. He missed one cut at the Scottish Genesis Open and had strong finishes in the four majors: second at the Masters, T14 at the PGA Championship, T4 at the U.S. Open and T4 at the Open Championship.
His list of accolades for the 2026 season doesn’t stop there. He was ranked first in the Presidents Cup selection process and made just under $31 million. He also ranks first in strokes gained total, fifth in strokes gained off the tee, second in approach to green and sixth in putting.
There is one race where Scheffler has competition, and that is in the “Player of the Year” race, where Wyndham Clark has put together a strong résumé.
SOUTHAMPTON, NEW YORK – JUNE 21: Wyndham Clark of the United States celebrates with the U.S. Open Championship Trophy after winning the 126th U.S. OPEN at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on June 21, 2026 in Southampton, New York. (Photo by Warren Little/Getty Images)
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Clark also had three wins this season at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, the U.S. Open and the BMW Championship. Winning a major championship has some analysts calling for Clark’s victory.
The three wins may go toe-to-toe with Scheffler’s season, but the rest of this year’s résumé shows stark contrasts between the two. Clark earned $14.6 million this year, with other high finishes including a third-place finish at the Memorial, T5 at the Travelers Championship and T5 at the St. Jude Championship. He had six top-10 finishes on the season.
“I know it’s not up to me,” Clark said in Yahoo Sports. “I mean, obviously Scottie’s the best player in the world right now. I don’t really know. Honestly, I didn’t even think about it coming off such a terrible year. Didn’t even think about Player of the Year.”
Clark ranks seventh in strokes gained total, 82nd in strokes gained off the tee, 21st in approach and 24th in putting. Clark played in 23 events, missing the cut five times.
The Player of the Year award is selected through a voting process. First, directors and the Player Advisory Council create a shortlist of top candidates based on season performance, including wins, scoring averages, top-10 finishes and major championships.
Second, eligible PGA Tour members, those who have played in at least 15 events throughout the season, cast a single vote for the player of their choice.
Third, the vote takes place in early December, with the player receiving the most votes becoming the winner of the Jack Nicklaus Award (Player of the Year).
Based on consistency of play, three wins this season, two of which came during the playoffs and eclipsing Woods’ total careering earnings mark, Scheffler seems the likely winner of the Jack Nicklaus Award this year.
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