Scottie Scheffler’s near miss at the Masters wasn’t enough to prevent him from soaring above Rory McIlroy in golf’s latest rich list. However, the American still isn’t the sport’s highest earner over the past 12 months.
That’s according to Forbes’ latest list of the world’s richest athletes in the 12 months leading up to May 2026. This just happened to coincide with arguably the most successful year of his career to date, including two major titles, which has helped lift Scheffler up to 16th place in sport’s financial pecking order for 2025/26. The 29-year-old, who finished third at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson on Sunday, is estimated to have raked in roughly £63million ($84.6m) over the past 12 months, with around £40m of that stemming from competition earnings. The other £23m or so is accounted for via off-course revenue such as brand endorsements, sponsorships or other investments.