When Rory McIlroy slipped on the Green Jacket again earlier this year, few could have imagined that his season would take such a sharp downturn in the months that followed. Over nearly twenty years and more than 260 starts, the Northern Irishman has been a cornerstone of modern golf, building one of the most lucrative and decorated resumes the game has ever seen. Yet the PGA Tour’s financial landscape has changed dramatically. Thanks to the explosion of signature-event purses (LIV Golf!), Scottie Scheffler has managed to match in just six seasons what took McIlroy nearly two decades to build, reshaping the record books at a pace golf has rarely witnessed.

That downturn crystallized last week at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, where Scottie Scheffler‘s second 2026 victory added $3.6 million to his career total, pushing it to an eye-watering $119,964,411, and with it, past McIlroy on the PGA Tour’s all-time money list.

McIlroy, meanwhile, endured his worst finish of the year, limping to 66th at TPC Southwind and dropping to third with career earnings of $116,488,372. He’d entered the week second on the all-time list.

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Scottie Scheffler Closing in on Tiger’s Longstanding Throne

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Scottie Scheffler may even overtake Tiger Woods next. You see, since September 2000, Tiger Woods has been on top of the Career Money list with $120,999,166, meaning Scheffler is just over $1 million away from dethroning him. That means the World No. 1 can overtake Woods with a solo third or better at Bellerive Country Club.

This is far from Scheffler’s first brush with golf’s record books this year. Back in January, he crossed the $100 million mark in career earnings, joining an exclusive two-man club before he’d even reached his 30th birthday. Seven months on, he’s already eyeing the very top of that list.

McIlroy needs $4.5 million to catch both Scheffler and Woods. The top eight finishers at East Lake alone earn $1 million or more, giving him a realistic shot at closing that gap.

Obviously the rapid increase in prize money in the last few years has made it easier for the likes of Scheffler and McIlroy to overtake Tiger Woods. For instance, Woods made that money with 364 starts, whereas Scheffler’s current earnings came from just 163. Scheffler’s efficiency, $735,977 per start versus Woods’ $332,415, reflects how modern prize-money inflation has reshaped the record books.

None of that context makes McIlroy’s Memphis week easier to swallow. Fresh off his worst finish of the year, he didn’t hold back on what’s actually going wrong.

Rory McIlroy details major concern after Scottie Scheffler won

“I’m so far away from where I need to be to even feel like I have a chance,” McIlroy said during Sunday’s press conference. “I’ve just got to keep working and hope it turns around a little bit.”

This week marks Rory McIlroy’s worst performance of the year. He failed to break par in any of his four rounds, carding 74-70-72-72 to finish 25 shots behind the winner. He dropped to 13th in the FedExCup standings, though he did advance safely to the next stage. His path back runs through two remaining events: a 50-player BMW Championship and a 30-player Tour Championship, no cuts, $60 million combined on offer. McIlroy can theoretically recover his position, but only if Scheffler stumbles down the stretch, easier said than done.

McIlroy had not played since The Open last month before returning at the St. Jude Championship. While he won the Masters earlier this year, the Northern Irishman has struggled to make a consistent impact, recording just one top-five finish this season. That lack of consistency is now at the heart of his biggest concern as he heads into the BMW Championship.

“The more the week went on, the more I felt lost with my golf swing a little bit,” he added, explaining his biggest concern. “… I’m going to have to work pretty hard between now and next Thursday.”

It’s also worth noting that McIlroy has seriously toned down the number of events he participates in, having already expressed his intentions to spend more time with his family. That being said, Scottie Scheffler appears to be on a path to make history while Rory McIlroy struggles to find his footing this season.