It’s hard to imagine a more dominant season than the one Scottie Scheffler has put together in 2025. From his crushing eight-stroke victory at the CJ CUP Byron Nelson—where he tied the PGA Tour’s 72-hole scoring record with a 31-under-par 253—to winning not one, but two major championships, Scheffler has been nothing short of unstoppable. He triumphed at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, grinding through a tough final round to win by five strokes. Just two months later, he lifted the Claret Jug at Royal Portrush after a commanding 17-under performance that left the field chasing shadows.
Add in a jaw-dropping 13 top-10 finishes in just 16 events, and Scheffler has separated himself from the rest of the Tour like few players in recent memory. His play has been so consistent, so surgical, that he has already clinched the FedEx Cup regular-season points title, and the rewards are staggering. This Sunday, Scheffler is set to collect $18 million in bonus money, with $10 million coming from his FedEx Cup regular-season points lead and $8 million for topping the Comcast Business Top 10 rankings. The eye-popping payout was summed up in a viral X post by NUCLR GOLF on August 3: “#BIG MONEY — Scottie Scheffler is set to collect $18M in bonus money this Sunday. As the top FedEx cup points earner following The Wyndham Championship, he will earn $10M, plus an additional $8M for top spot in the Comcast Business Top 10 rankings.”
#BIG MONEY — Scottie Scheffler is set to collect $18M in bonus money this Sunday. As the top FedEx cup points earner following The Wyndham Championship, he will earn $10M, plus an additional $8M for top spot in the Comcast Business Top 10 rankings. @SchefflerFans pic.twitter.com/C2pph7Jx6w
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) August 2, 2025
This bonus money isn’t tied to a playoff win or an extra trophy. It’s guaranteed, sealed before the first tee shot of the playoffs. It rewards Scheffler not just for brilliance in a few weeks, but for week-in, week-out excellence across the season. It also gives him a prime seed heading into the Tour Championship and locks in further perks like two-year exemptions and more media exposure. While Scottie Scheffler’s dominance has been undeniable, his success is frequently attributed to influences beyond his own swing. But as Scheffler’s bank account swells, a different kind of message is circulating across the internet, and it’s not congratulatory.
Fans suggest Scheffler should be grateful to Phil Mickelson and LIV
Within minutes of NUCLR GOLF’s tweet, the reactions came flooding in—and many of them weren’t applauding Scheffler, but pointing back to someone else: Phil Mickelson. “Hopefully the commission check to Phil is in the mail. ” one fan replied. Another posted, “Be sure to thank Phil and LIV.” The underlying point is unmistakable. These fans credit, or blame, Mickelson’s controversial defection to LIV Golf as the catalyst for the PGA Tour’s sweeping financial reforms. When Mickelson and others left in 2022, they did so loudly, accusing the Tour of limiting player rights and hoarding money. Mickelson argued that top players had no real leverage, and that only a rival league could force structural change. He was right.
Soon after the LIV wave hit, the PGA Tour scrambled to modernize. Purse sizes ballooned. A new bonus system emerged. Programs like the Comcast Business Top 10 and the regular-season FedEx Cup bonus were restructured or introduced entirely. In other words, Scheffler’s $18 million Sunday may be a reward for dominance, but it’s also a sign of how much the landscape has changed since Mickelson broke ranks.
Sarcastic responses followed. “But but I was told PGAT isn’t about the money,” a fan piped. “It’s about tradition not money,” added another. And the kicker: “#legacyandtradition ” So, while Scheffler rightfully enjoys his success, the fans have a message: the money he’s now guaranteed didn’t always exist. And if they’re being honest, some of them believe that’s thanks—at least in part—to the man who once shook up the game’s “legacy and tradition.”
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