World number one Scottie Scheffler has cemented his status among golf's financial elite by joining the exclusive $100 million club alongside legends Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. The American superstar achieved this remarkable milestone with a commanding four-shot victory at The American Express tournament in California, marking a spectacular start to his 2026 season.
A Dominant Start to the New Season
Scheffler began his 2026 campaign in imperious form, closing with a six-under 66 to finish on 27-under par at the California event. This comprehensive victory served as an early warning to reigning Masters champion Rory McIlroy that Scheffler will be the player to beat in this season's major championships. The win was particularly impressive given Scheffler's disrupted start to the previous season, where he missed early tournaments due to a hand injury sustained during Christmas festivities.
Historic Career Milestones
The $1.656 million prize money from The American Express pushed Scheffler's on-course PGA Tour earnings to $101,109,136, officially placing him alongside Woods (50) and McIlroy (36) as the only players to surpass nine figures in career earnings on the tour. At just 29 years old, Scheffler has now achieved multiple historic milestones that place him among the game's all-time greats.
This victory represented Scheffler's 20th PGA Tour win, all achieved within the past four years, earning him lifetime membership on the tour. Remarkably, nine of those twenty victories have been won by four shots or more, demonstrating his ability to dominate tournaments when in form. Scheffler has also joined an even more exclusive club alongside Woods and Jack Nicklaus as the only players to have won 20 PGA Tour titles and four major championships before turning thirty.
Consistent Excellence and Peer Recognition
Since recording his first PGA Tour victory at the 2022 WM Phoenix Open, Scheffler has accumulated eleven more wins than Rory McIlroy during the same period. His current form is particularly formidable, with seven victories in his last thirteen stroke-play events. Since his T-20 finish at The Players Championship last March, Scheffler hasn't finished lower than T-8 in any tournament, demonstrating remarkable consistency at the highest level.
Joint runner-up and former world number one Jason Day offered high praise for Scheffler's achievements, drawing comparisons with Tiger Woods' legendary dominance. "It's not like we're looking at Tiger, but he's putting up Tiger-ish numbers," Day observed. "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."
Looking Ahead to Major Challenges
Perhaps most concerning for Scheffler's competitors is his belief that he can still improve his game despite already achieving such extraordinary success. Reflecting on his slow start to the previous season, where he didn't secure a victory until May, Scheffler acknowledged the challenges he faced. "You look at last year, it is different just because I had made what I felt was so much progress in the offseason and then to have that basically taken away by four to six weeks of inactivity from golf, that has an effect," he explained.
With the Masters scheduled to begin on April 9th, Scheffler's early-season form suggests he will be a formidable contender for the green jacket he last presented to defending champion Rory McIlroy in 2025. His current trajectory indicates that the world number one is entering what could be his most successful season yet.
Inspiring the Next Generation
The tournament also provided a memorable experience for eighteen-year-old Blades Brown, who played in the final group alongside Scheffler after starting the last day tied with the eventual champion and just one shot behind leader Si Woo Kim. Although Brown shot a closing 74 to finish tied for 18th, the young golfer described the experience as "insane," adding that he had to "pinch myself a couple of times just to make sure this was real" while playing alongside the world number one.
Scheffler himself reflected humbly on his historic achievement, stating: "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."
