ATLANTA — Scottie Scheffler will go for the big prize Sunday at the Tour Championship, but he’s poised to set a new PGA Tour record even if he does not finish in first place.

With any finish in the top 13 at the PGA Tour’s season-ending event, Scheffler will pass Tiger Woods as the No. 1 player on the career money list. Woods has been in the top spot on the earnings list for 26 years, since February 2000, and stands at $120,199,166.

After making $3.6 million for his eight-shot victory at the FedEx St. Jude Championship on Aug. 16 and another $426,250 for a T12 finish at the BMW Championship last week, Scheffler needs just more than $600,000 in earnings at the Tour Championship to take No. 1. With a bogey-free 66 on Saturday, Scheffler moved into a tie for third heading into the final round at East Lake, three shots behind leader Viktor Hovland.

Rory McIlroy stands at No. 3 on the list, with $117.85 million in career earnings, $3.15 million behind Woods, and could also pass the 15-time major champion Sunday. There is a $10 million winner’s check on the line at the Tour Championship, with $5 million going to second place, $3.7 million to third and $3.2 million to fourth. McIlroy surged into the top-10 on Saturday with a 7-under 63, powered by nine birdies, including three in his final four holes.

Viktor Hovland carries lead into final round of Tour Championship

After Scheffler and McIlroy, there’s a considerable drop on the career earnings list to round out the top five, with Justin Rose at $78.89 million and Justin Thomas at $74.57 million.

Scheffler’s soon-to-be new record will come with several asterisks. First, inflation. Adjusted year-by-year, using the U.S. Consumer Price Index, Woods’ career earnings total $202.8 million. The significant rise in purse sizes in recent years is also a factor. The prize money pools at the four majors and the biggest events on the PGA Tour during Woods’ prime represented fractions of what today’s top golfers earn.

Woods’ 2002 Masters winner’s check totaled $1.008 million. Today, that is the prize for third place. McIlroy, the 2026 champion, took home $4.5 million.

Additionally, the career money list only includes official prize money. It does not factor in bonuses, like FedEx Cup bonus payouts or the old Player Impact Program. It also excludes endorsements or sponsorships, which represent a significant portion of income for many high-profile golfers, particularly Woods.

Woods won 82 times on the PGA Tour, while Scheffler, who turned 30 earlier this summer, is at 21 following his St. Jude Championship victory.

“What, am I like a fourth of the way there? Something like that,” Scheffler said. “No, I mean, Tiger did a lot for the game of golf, and he put us in a position where we’re able to earn some pretty good stuff financially, so that’s something we’re very grateful for. Tiger’s contributions to the game, when you look at where the purses were at before he came out on tour to where they’re at now, is a pretty stark difference.”

Scheffler has been careful to say he does not believe this is beating a “Tiger record.”

Of the top 20 on the career money list, only three did not make a PGA Tour start in 2026: Woods, Jim Furyk (No. 7) and Vijay Singh (8).

The list is also exclusive to money made on the PGA Tour. Jon Rahm, who joined LIV Golf before the 2024 season, has made $105.5 million, factoring in the PGA Tour, LIV and majors.