Scheffler Nears 5th Straight PGA Tour Player of the Year After 3rd 2026 Win

Q: If adjusted for modern purse inflation, how much higher would Tiger Woods' career earnings be compared to Scheffler's new record?

Adjusted for inflation, Tiger Woods’ PGA Tour career earnings would be about **$72.4 million higher** than Scottie Scheffler’s new record. Scheffler’s official career total after winning the Tour Championship is **$130,390,661**. The additional reporting says Woods’ official PGA Tour earnings, when adjusted year by year using the U.S. Consumer Price Index, would equal **$202.8 million**. That means the inflation-adjusted gap is roughly: **$202.8 million - $130.39 million = $72.41 million** So while Scheffler has passed Woods on the raw official money list, Woods would still be comfortably ahead in inflation-adjusted terms. The broader point is that this record is heavily shaped by era. PGA Tour purses during Woods’ peak were far smaller than they are now. As one example cited in the reporting, Woods earned **$1.008 million** for winning the 2002 Masters; in today’s game, that is closer to what a third-place finisher can receive at a major. That is why Scheffler himself has been careful not to frame the milestone as truly surpassing Woods’ financial achievement.

3 articles · Updated · golfchannel.com · Aug 31

Scottie Scheffler’s Tour Championship victory at East Lake likely swung the PGA Tour’s player vote his way for a fifth consecutive Player of the Year award.
A 4-under 66 gave the world No. 1 his third win of 2026 and second FedExCup Playoffs title, answering a rare weakness in his case after past postseason stumbles.
Wyndham Clark had entered East Lake as Scheffler’s main rival after three wins including the BMW Championship and a U.S. Open title, but Scheffler led the tour in wins, scoring and FedExCup points by more than 1,400.
Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas had already backed Scheffler’s season on consistency and overall play, while Tiger Woods called his three-win, five-runner-up campaign 'historic.'