TIGER Woods has been atop the PGA Tour career earnings since his runner-up finish at Torrey Pines on Feb. 13, 2000, back when Scottie Scheffler was still a young kid living in New Jersey.
That could be about to change.
Scheffler picked up $3.6 million for winning the FedEx St. Jude Championship — his fifth check of $2 million or more this year — and moved to within $1,034,756 of surpassing Woods. He could do that with a three-way tie for third at the BMW Championship.
Next week, the $40-million purse at the Tour Championship counts as official money (it was always bonus money when Woods played).
It could be a matter of who gets there first. Rory McIlroy is $4,510,794 behind Woods.
Prize money, of course, has been soaring since the first television contract negotiated during the first episode of Tigermania, and lately with big purses in response to LIV Golf. The day Woods took over at No. 1 in career earnings, the entire purse at the Buick Invitational was $3 million.
Meanwhile, the FedEx Cup playoff rotation will look similar next year with one exception. The BMW Championship, held this year at Bellerive, will move to Liberty National in New Jersey. The BMW Championship is the only postseason event that moves.
It led to some measure of consternation this year because of the heat wave and three tournaments in Memphis, Tennessee; St. Louis and Atlanta.
All that changes with the revamped 2028 schedule, including the format.
But what makes sense where to play?
Rory McIlroy would like a word about that. He pointed out that Formula 1 goes from Las Vegas to Qatar in November.
“The West Coast works really well,” McIlroy said. “I think the West Coast swing isn’t in a great spot where it is in February. If we could play the West Coast when we should and how the golf courses should play, it would be amazing. Obviously, it would be good for TV. That makes sense for what they’re trying to do.” AP
