Rory McIlroy is one historic step away from dethroning Tiger Woods as the all-time leading money winner on the PGA Tour. The Northern Irish golf prodigy has just won the Masters for the second time in his career, in a dramatic victory by just one stroke at the legendary Augusta National, which earned him $4.5 million and catapulted his total earnings on the PGA Tour to an impressive $114.7 million.
At the top of this titanic struggle remains Tiger Woods, the global golf icon, with a total of $120.9 million in earnings on the PGA Tour. However, World No. 2 McIlroy is dangerously closing the gap and threatens to surpass the all-time record holder in the near future. In third place on this podium of golf millionaires is Scottie Scheffler, with around $105.7 million in prize money, while Justin Rose occupies fourth place with earnings of approximately $77 million.
The 2026 season kicked off for McIlroy at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where he finished in 14th place after rounds of 68, 67, 72, and 64, earning $342,750. This was followed by his impressive performance at the Genesis Invitational, where he secured second place with rounds of 66, 65, 69, and 67, totaling $1.8 million in prize money. At the Players Championship, McIlroy did not shine as much, finishing in 46th place and earning $72,125.
Regarding his victory at the 2026 Masters, McIlroy revealed in a press conference how challenging it was to defend the title. “Last year I thought it would be very difficult to win due to the pressure of trying for the Grand Slam, but this year I realized that winning the Masters is simply very hard,” he confessed. “I tried to convince myself that it was possible, but it was incredibly complicated. I did the main work on Thursday and Friday.”
The golfer also explained his strategy for the final days: “I wouldn’t believe anyone who told me that just playing par would be enough to win at the weekend. I thought I would have to shoot at least two rounds under par. Yesterday the course was quite accessible, but today the wind complicated everything, especially at the end, with unpredictable gusts that made the challenge even tougher.”
It is worth remembering that in his first Masters victory the previous year, McIlroy started with a 72, followed by two rounds of 66, and a final 73, triumphing after a playoff against Justin Rose and securing $4.2 million in prize money.
With this victory, McIlroy not only impressively defends his title, but also rapidly approaches one of the greatest records in world golf, promising an epic battle with Tiger Woods for the top spot among the all-time winners on the PGA Tour. The golf world is watching, and the moment for McIlroy to shine even brighter is approaching.
This article first appeared on Apito Final.
Discover more from Apito Final
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
