Scheffler Passes Rory in Money

Morning Edition

August 17, 2026

POWERED BY

Scottie Scheffler won the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis Sunday in dominant fashion, taking home $3.6 million in the process. He’s now passed Rory McIlroy at No. 2 on the PGA Tour’s career earnings list, and can overtake Tiger Woods at No 1. at next week’s BMW Championship.

—Ryan Glasspiegel

First Up

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Caitlyn Jenner says there’s a “simple” way for the WNBA to solve its transgender eligibility issue after two former NBA players said they’re declaring for the league’s draft.
A judge dismissed Charles Oakley’s lawsuit against Madison Square Garden over an alleged 2017 assault by security guards, but the former Knick is seeking a jury trial.

Scottie Scheffler Nears Tiger Woods’s Career Earnings As He Laps FedEx Field

Steve Roberts-Imagn Images

Scottie Scheffler’s dominant performance in winning the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis powered him past Rory McIlroy and brought him about $1 million away from catching Tiger Woods for the highest career PGA Tour earnings of all time.

With the win in Memphis, Scheffler takes home $3.6 million, bringing his total PGA Tour career earnings to $119.96 million. Woods stands just shy of $121 million, while McIlroy finished 66th in this weekend’s tournament to bring his total to $116.49 million.

Scheffler finished -17 on the week, eight strokes ahead of second-place Si Woo Kim. He had entered into Sunday at -13, in first place by two strokes. There was a brief scare when he had an unfortunate bounce off a sewer grate and into the water for a bogey on the par-5 third hole. However, after that, he birdied the fifth and sixth and was never seriously threatened, as he continued to compound his lead.

It has been a wonky year for Scheffler, where he’s the No. 1–ranked golfer but was still a disappointment by his lofty standards. His only previous win in 2026—including majors—was at The American Express in January. Nevertheless, including this week, he finished in the top five 12 times and as runner-up five times. He’s ultimately won more than $20 million on the PGA Tour this year.

Next week’s BMW Championship in St. Louis—the second of three playoff events that kicked off this week with St. Jude—similarly awards $3.6 million to the winner, while the FedEx Championship to end the season has a $40 million purse—including $10 million for the winner. Scheffler would need to finish ninth or better next week to pass Woods in career earnings.

Meanwhile, this was the final week to solidify position in the top 50 PGA Tour golfers. Those on the list are not only eligible for next week’s BMW, but also guaranteed entry into all of the Tour’s signature events next year. The last four in were Michael Brennan, Eric Cole, Maverick McNealy, and Matt McCarty, while the first four out were Keith Mitchell, Jordan Spieth, Max Homa, and Harris English.

Netflix’s Elle Duncan to Join Tuned In

After nine years at ESPN, Elle Duncan is ushering in a new era as Netflix’s lead host for sports and live events while also serving as the studio host for USA Sports’s inaugural WNBA coverage. From anchoring SportsCenter to leading acclaimed coverage of women’s basketball’s biggest moments, Duncan has become one of the industry’s most influential and versatile broadcasters.

Now, you’ll have the chance to hear from her firsthand as she takes the Tuned In stage this October.

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ONE BIG FIG

Retiring Rich

Reuters

$200 million

That’s how much Cristiano Ronaldo earned annually in salary and bonuses after transferring to Saudi Pro League club Al Nassr in 2023, according to Bloomberg. Ronaldo’s contract runs out at the end of the upcoming 2026–27 season, at which point he will likely retire. The 41-year-old superstar, who played in his sixth World Cup for Portugal earlier this summer, told Vogue Sunday that this upcoming season was “probably my last year.”

Ronaldo, who has scored 976 goals since 2001 in over 900 appearances for club and country, was named the world’s highest-paid athlete by Forbes in May for a fourth-straight year. He’s followed by Canelo Alvarez, Lionel Messi, LeBron James, and Shohei Ohtani.

DAILY SPORTS TRIVIA

Can you rank the top five college football teams by toughest places to play in “EA Sports College Football 27”?

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