Scottie Scheffler has made a powerful start to his 2026 PGA Tour season, securing a victory that places him among an elite group of golfers. With this win, he has become the third player in PGA Tour history to surpass $100 million in career earnings, joining the likes of Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

Scheffler’s success at The American Express tournament in California was nothing short of impressive. Coming off a Player of the Year award in 2025 and two major championship victories, he dominated the event with a final score of -27, finishing four shots ahead of Ryan Gerard. This win earned him a prize of $1,656,000 from a total purse of $9.2 million.

In just 151 starts on the PGA Tour, Scheffler has accumulated over $100 million in earnings, marking a historic milestone for the sport. His financial success has also led to a unique agreement with his caddie, which he describes as “childish” in nature, highlighting the personal and sometimes unconventional aspects of professional golf.

A Growing Prize Pool

The PGA Tour has seen a significant increase in prize money over the years. In 2024, the total prize pool (excluding the FedExCup Fall series) reached $551.4 million. This is a far cry from 1994, when the total prize pool was only $57.2 million, with the most lucrative event offering a $3 million prize at the Tour Championship.

Scheffler reflected on the significance of the American Express tournament, which has been around since 1960. He emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong performance throughout the event, stating:

“I put myself in good position after two days with two solid rounds, and just looking forward to hopefully putting up another solid round tomorrow and then we’ll see where we’re at going into Sunday.”

Unique Format and Challenges

The American Express tournament features a unique format, with players spread across different courses. Scheffler noted that the course he will play on the following day presents a challenge, but he is eager to take it on.

“I got the challenging course tomorrow and I’m looking forward to getting out there,” he said.

Scheffler has 19 wins on the PGA Tour and turned professional in 2018. His recent performances in California have been particularly notable. In 2025, he won the Procore Championship and finished in the top five in four other events, including the 2023 U.S. Open, the 2020 American Express, the 2025 Genesis Invitational, and the 2020 PGA Championship—all held in California.

Conditions and Performance

Scheffler praised the course conditions and weather, which he believes contribute to low scores.

“The courses are in good shape, you got good weather conditions,” he added. “I think that’s a recipe for some low scores when you got guys with the amount of talent that we have out here on TOUR. I think when you get those two things together you’re going to see some low scores.”

He also spoke about his performance during the event, noting how his game improved as the rounds progressed.

“I felt like today I started hitting it better as the round went on. I didn’t get off to the start I would have hoped to get off to today. Outside of that, I did a really good job on the back nine of staying patient and didn’t really try to force things out there. I made a good birdie on my 9th hole today, which was 18, and made some nice birdies on that back nine.”