Scottie Scheffler has entered the exclusive $100 million club alongside golf legends Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy following a stellar start to his season with a commanding victory at The American Express tournament.
As the current world No.1, Scheffler sent a strong message to the reigning Masters champion that he is a formidable contender for major championships this season. Last year, Scheffler had to sit out in January due to a hand injury caused by a broken wine glass while preparing ravioli during the Christmas season.
However, the American golfer has kicked off 2026 in excellent form, finishing with a six-under 66 in California to secure a four-shot win, ending the tournament at 27-under par. This victory marked his 20th win on the PGA Tour, all achieved within the past four years, granting him a lifetime membership. Notably, nine of these wins were by a margin of four shots or more.
With his earnings reaching $101,109,136, the $1.656 million prize money from this win pushed Scheffler into the elite group of golfers who have surpassed the $100 million mark on the PGA Tour, alongside Woods and McIlroy. At 29 years old, Scheffler also joins Woods and Jack Nicklaus as the only players to have secured 20 PGA Tour titles and four majors before turning 30.
Reflecting on his achievement, Scheffler humbly stated, “Pretty wild. Any time you can get mentioned with those guys it means you’re doing some stuff right. It’s been a great start to my career. It’s been special. I try not to think about that stuff too much. I was just trying to do the things I needed to do to be prepared.”
Since his first win at the 2022 WM Phoenix Open, Scheffler has clinched 11 more victories than McIlroy, with this latest win being his seventh in the last 13 stroke-play events. Moreover, since finishing tied for 20th at The Players last March, Scheffler has consistently placed within the top eight in subsequent events.
Commenting on Scheffler’s dominance, joint runner-up Jason Day remarked, “It’s not like we’re looking at Tiger, but he’s putting up Tiger-ish numbers, even though Tiger was obviously the GOAT. But every time he tees it up he’s right around the lead. And that is one of the most difficult things to do, to always stay hungry to the point of not being satisfied. Because it’s very easy to get satisfied out here.”
Looking ahead, Scheffler believes he can further improve his game after a slow start last season, where he did not secure a win until May. As the Masters approaches on April 9, the golfing community awaits Scheffler’s continued rise in the sport.
Additionally, the rising star of the week was teenager Blades Brown, who competed in the final group alongside Scheffler. Despite finishing tied for 18th after a closing 74, Brown expressed his awe at witnessing Scheffler’s victory, emphasizing the surreal experience of playing alongside the golfing sensation.
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