When Scottie Scheffler won the American Express match in January, he didn’t simply accumulate his twentieth PGA Tour title. He crossed a monetary threshold that solely two golfers in PGA Tour historical past had reached earlier than him.
With a $1.6 million winner’s check, the 29-year-old surpassed $101 million in profession on-course earnings, becoming a member of fellow golf legends Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in golf’s exclusive $100 million club. They’re additionally all former Masters champions, with Scheffler profitable in 2022 and 2024, Woods profitable in 1997, 2001, 2002, 2005, and 2019, and McIlroy profitable in 2025.
Scheffler achieved his twentieth PGA Tour victory with simply 151 begins, a tempo that tracks solely with Woods and Jack Nicklaus—and all 20 of Scheffler’s wins got here in only a four-year time span. He’s thought-about the very best golfer on the planet proper now, in accordance to the Official World Golf Ranking, a spot he’s maintained for 146 consecutive weeks, Gold Ranking Stats data exhibits.
He’s a four-time main champion, having claimed two Masters titles, a PGA Championship, and a British Open, plus he’s an Olympic gold medalist, and was the PGA Tour Player of the Year for four straight seasons. One of essentially the most exceptional information about Scheffler is that he’s solely been enjoying skilled golf since 2018, proper after he graduated from the University of Texas.
Scheffler is likely one of the most adorned gamers in golf and is a high earner, however he’s already proven he’s not letting the wealth and fame get to his head.
In 2025, he donated his entire Ryder Cup stipend of $500,000 to charity.
‘I don’t like to give charitable {dollars} for some sort of recognition’
Last September, the PGA of America broke with custom by instantly compensating U.S. Ryder Cup gamers for the first time. Each of the 12 U.S. crew members acquired $300,000 earmarked for a charity of their alternative and $200,000 as a private stipend, for a complete of $500,000 per participant. The charitable portion alone was a big improve from the $200,000 donation that had been made in every participant’s title since 1999.
That choice got here with some backlash, notably after European captain Luke Donald mentioned his gamers had rejected the thought of being paid. He said the Ryder Cup “is not about prize money or world ranking points. It’s about pride,” though he later clarified his remarks weren’t directed at U.S. gamers.
Scheffler took benefit of the additional earnings, however in an surprising means. He mentioned he would donate the entire quantity (each the portion earmarked for charity and his private stipend) to organizations in his hometown of Dallas.
“My wife and I like to do a lot of stuff in our local community, and I’ve never been one to announce what we do,” Scheffler mentioned, in accordance to The Athletic. “I don’t like to give charitable dollars for some kind of recognition.”
“We have something planned for the money that we’ll be receiving,” he continued. “I think it’s a really cool thing that the PGA of America has empowered us to do.” Scheffler by no means introduced the names of particular organizations to which he donated as a result of he mentioned he doesn’t take part in charity for recognition.
Other Ryder Cup gamers, together with Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, together with captain Keegan Bradley, confirmed they’d donate their full stipends as nicely.
“There’s a lot of pride that comes into playing in one of these, and yes, we’re happy to get paid for this, and yes, I plan on donating it,” Schauffele mentioned, in accordance to CBS Sports. “It’s something that selfishly will make me feel good about what I do.”
Philanthropic giving rooted in private loss
Scheffler’s most private philanthropic work traces again to a childhood friendship with James Ragan, a fellow junior golfer in Texas who was recognized with osteosarcoma in 2006. Ragan and his older sister, Mecklin, cofounded the Triumph Over Kid Cancer Foundation in 2010 to increase consciousness and fund analysis for pediatric most cancers. James, who played golf at Rice University, died in 2014 at age 20 throughout his sophomore 12 months.
Scheffler remained concerned with the muse for years, donating $50,000 in 2019 after profitable the RSM Birdies Fore Love competitors early in his skilled profession. He later partnered with Mecklin Ragan to create a golf program known as Scottie’s Heroes that places golf equipment within the palms of children present process most cancers remedy.
In late 2024, Scheffler auctioned off his beloved 2012 GMC Yukon XL—the automobile his father gave him after faculty—via Heritage Auctions, with all proceeds benefiting Triumph Over Kid Cancer. CBS broadcaster Jim Nantz placed the opening $50,000 bid at a TOKC fundraising gala and received the automobile.
“I figure just driving this SUV to the golf course should lower my handicap by at least five shots,” Nantz informed Golfweek.
