Xander Schauffele responds when asked if he thinks Scottie Scheffler deserves to be earning $60 million this year
Xander Schauffele Comments on Scottie Scheffler’s $60 Million Earnings in 2024
The 2024 PGA Tour season has been nothing short of remarkable for Xander Schauffele, a two-time major champion who is now focused on clinching the FedEx Cup title. As he heads into the BMW Championship, which is the second of the Tour’s playoff events, Schauffele finds himself in an enviable position, currently sitting second in the FedEx Cup standings. His goal is clear: to surpass Scottie Scheffler, the current leader, and seize the coveted $25 million prize awaiting the winner of the Tour Championship at East Lake.
In the midst of this high-stakes competition, Schauffele was recently asked about the extraordinary earnings of Scottie Scheffler for the 2024 season. If Scheffler clinches the FedEx Cup, his total earnings for the year are set to exceed an impressive $60 million. This figure places him among the highest-paid athletes in golf, highlighting both his exceptional performance and the lucrative nature of the sport’s top tier.
When questioned about Scheffler’s financial windfall, Schauffele offered a nuanced perspective. He acknowledged the substantial amount of money involved, noting that the financial landscape for the top golfers has shifted significantly. “It’s a lot of money,” Schauffele remarked. “The money that’s around the top players is skewed. You take the top 10 quarterbacks in football, and their earnings are spread out in a way that’s not really comparable to golf.”
Schauffele went on to provide context for Scheffler’s earnings by citing his remarkable achievements throughout the season. “Scottie has won seven times this year, which includes the Olympic gold medal. Maybe it’s eight; I don’t want to mess that up,” Schauffele said. He emphasized that Scheffler’s performance in the major tournaments has been exceptional, and his earnings reflect the elite level at which he has played.
The world number two further highlighted the disparity in earnings between the top players and those further down the rankings. “If you look at how much the 10th best player in the world has made, it’s not even close to what Scottie has earned,” Schauffele noted. “This just shows you how well Scottie has performed in these significant events.”
Drawing a parallel with other sports, Schauffele compared Scheffler’s situation to that of top quarterbacks in the NFL. “You look at the number one quarterback, and he’s earning $60 million, while the 10th best might be making $52 million, and the 15th best around $39 or $40 million. There’s obviously a much larger pool of money in football due to TV deals and other revenue sources. It’s difficult to compare one-on-one situations, but Scottie’s performance has been so exceptional that he deserves everything he’s getting.”
As the Tour Championship approaches, Schauffele is poised to be Scheffler’s most significant challenger. Schauffele’s form at East Lake is impressive; he won the Tour Championship there in 2017 and has demonstrated a strong affinity for the Atlanta venue. With his current form and past success at East Lake, Schauffele is a formidable competitor and will be eager to close out his stellar season with a victory.
On the other hand, Scheffler faces the pressure of defending his position as the world number one. Despite starting with a two-shot lead at the Tour Championship, Scheffler will need to maintain his composure, especially given his recent struggles at East Lake. Last year, Viktor Hovland capitalized on Scheffler’s underperformance, and two years ago, Rory McIlroy famously outplayed Scheffler to claim the title.
As the PGA Tour’s season finale approaches, all eyes will be on the duel between Schauffele and Scheffler, with both players eager to add another triumph to their remarkable 2024 seasons. The Tour Championship promises to be a thrilling conclusion to an extraordinary year in professional golf.
