Scottie Scheffler is closing in on a number that has belonged to Tiger Woods for more than two decades.

Entering the BMW Championship, Scheffler sits at $119,964,411 in career PGA TOUR earnings, putting him just over $1 million behind Woods’ all-time record of $120,999,166.

Considering Scheffler earned his first PGA TOUR check in 2018, that’s a remarkable climb.

But there’s more to this story than the money.

Scottie’s Run Has Been Ridiculous

Scheffler’s latest jump came after a dominant performance at the FedEx St. Jude Championship, where he won by eight shots to collect his 21st PGA TOUR victory.

Now 30 years old, Scheffler has established himself as the dominant player of his generation. He’s already accumulated 50 top-three finishes on Tour and continues to put himself in contention at a rate rarely seen in modern golf.

At this week’s BMW Championship, another strong finish could finally move him past Tiger and into the No. 1 spot on the PGA TOUR’s career money list.

But does that mean he’s catching Tiger?

Not exactly.

The Tiger Effect

Here’s where context matters.

Tiger Woods has 82 PGA TOUR victories. Scheffler currently has 21.

The two players also competed during dramatically different financial eras.

Today’s PGA TOUR purses are significantly larger than they were throughout much of Tiger’s prime. Scheffler himself has acknowledged that reality rather than using the earnings record as evidence that he’s somehow surpassed Woods.

And there’s a certain irony to it.

Part of the reason Scottie Scheffler can earn this much money today is because Tiger Woods helped make professional golf this valuable in the first place.

Tiger didn’t just win tournaments. He brought new audiences to golf, drove television interest, attracted major sponsors and helped transform the economics surrounding the professional game.

The money followed.

So What Does the Record Mean?

It shouldn’t be used to argue that Scheffler has surpassed Tiger’s career.

Instead, it tells us something about two different eras of dominance.

Tiger helped build the modern stage.

Scottie is dominating on it.

And Scheffler deserves his flowers, too. Becoming the PGA TOUR’s all-time career earnings leader at only 30 years old would be another incredible accomplishment in a career that’s still being written.

The CCG Take

Comparing generations in golf is always complicated.

Different equipment. Different competition. Different courses. And now, dramatically different money.

So if Scottie Scheffler passes Tiger Woods this week, appreciate the milestone for what it is.

It doesn’t mean Scottie has become the new Tiger.

But it does show just how dominant Scheffler has become—and how much Tiger Woods changed the game that today’s stars get to play.

Tiger changed the business of golf. Scottie is taking full advantage of the era that followed.