Scheffler Vs. Clark: Player Of The Year Race Comes Down To The Wire

ATLANTA, GEORGIA - AUGUST 30: Scottie Scheffler of the United States lifts the trophy aft winning the last information of the TOUR Championship 2026 astatine East Lake Golf Club connected August 30, 2026 successful Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

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Scottie Scheffler wins the Tour Championship astatine East Lake Golf Club, his 3rd triumph of the season, putting him up of Tiger Woods successful wide profession earnings.

“It’s really difficult to triumph retired here. I consciousness like, erstwhile I’m close, it tin beryllium almost moreover much frustrating,” Scheffler said successful an article by The New York Times.

Scheffler took location $10 cardinal successful prize money pinch his triumph Sunday, pushing his full profession net to $130.4 cardinal and surpassing Woods’ $121.0 cardinal successful profession earnings. Adjusted for inflation, Scheffler still has activity to do, arsenic Woods’ net would person eclipsed $195 cardinal successful 2026 dollars.

Scheffler finishes the PGA Tour regular play pinch 3 wins, 5 second-place finishes and 13 top-five finishes. He missed 1 trim astatine the Scottish Genesis Open and had beardown finishes successful the 4 majors: 2nd astatine the Masters, T14 astatine the PGA Championship, T4 astatine the U.S. Open and T4 astatine the Open Championship.

His database of accolades for the 2026 play doesn’t extremity there. He was classed first successful the Presidents Cup action process and made conscionable nether $31 million. He besides ranks first successful strokes gained total, 5th successful strokes gained disconnected the tee, 2nd successful attack to greenish and sixth successful putting.

There is 1 title wherever Scheffler has competition, and that is successful the “Player of the Year” race, wherever Wyndham Clark has put together a beardown résumé.

Clark besides had 3 wins this play astatine the CJ Cup Byron Nelson, the U.S. Open and the BMW Championship. Winning a awesome title has immoderate analysts calling for Clark’s victory.

The 3 wins whitethorn spell toe-to-toe pinch Scheffler’s season, but the remainder of this year’s résumé shows stark contrasts betwixt the two. Clark earned $14.6 cardinal this year, pinch different precocious finishes including a third-place decorativeness astatine the Memorial, T5 astatine the Travelers Championship and T5 astatine the St. Jude Championship. He had six top-10 finishes connected the season.

“I cognize it’s not up to me,” Clark said successful Yahoo Sports. “I mean, evidently Scottie’s the champion subordinate successful the world correct now. I don’t really know. Honestly, I didn’t moreover deliberation astir it coming disconnected specified a unspeakable year. Didn’t moreover deliberation astir Player of the Year.”

Clark ranks seventh successful strokes gained total, 82nd successful strokes gained disconnected the tee, 21st successful attack and 24th successful putting. Clark played successful 23 events, missing the trim 5 times.

The Player of the Year grant is selected done a voting process. First, board and the Player Advisory Council create a shortlist of apical candidates based connected play performance, including wins, scoring averages, top-10 finishes and awesome championships.

Second, eligible PGA Tour members, those who person played successful astatine slightest 15 events passim the season, formed a azygous ballot for the subordinate of their choice.

Third, the ballot takes spot successful early December, pinch the subordinate receiving the astir votes becoming the victor of the Jack Nicklaus Award (Player of the Year).

Based connected consistency of play, 3 wins this season, 2 of which came during the playoffs and eclipsing Woods’ full careering net mark, Scheffler seems the apt victor of the Jack Nicklaus Award this year.