Scottie Scheffler loses more than a million after the Masters.

Scottie Scheffler won silver at the Masters in Augusta, but prepare for a real surprise: a large portion of the million-dollar prize he received will vanish into the clutches of the U.S. tax authorities! Despite the $2.43 million earned in the legendary competition, a colossal slice of over $1 million will be swallowed by taxes, shocking figures that leave any golf fan astounded.

The tournament, which this year distributed a record prize of $22.5 million, saw Scheffler finish just one stroke behind the winner Rory McIlroy. However, what few know is that in the United States, the tax burden on sports earnings is brutal: Masters players face a combined rate of 41.99%. This results from a federal rate of 37% and a Georgia state rate of 4.99%, according to analysis from AskGamblers.

Thus, of the $2.43 million earned, approximately $1,020,357 will be taken directly from Scheffler’s pockets by the IRS. It’s a drain that few athletes imagine before stepping onto the green at Augusta. In total, the tax authorities will collect an impressive $9.44 million just from this tournament, a figure that has increased compared to the previous year.

On the course, Scottie Scheffler showed grit and talent, recovering from a slow start to sign rounds of 65 and 68 over the weekend, finishing the tournament with a final day free of bogeys and a total of 11 under par. Even so, it was not enough to dethrone McIlroy, who recorded a score of 71 for the victory and $4.5 million in his pocket.

This increase in the prize money for the Masters – which rose from $21 million in 2025 to $22.5 million in 2026 – still lags behind the Players Championship, which offers $25 million, followed by the U.S. Open with $21.5 million, the PGA Championship with $19 million, and The Open Championship with $17 million.

Despite the heavy bite from the IRS, Scottie Scheffler’s season continues to shine. He has already amassed $6,246,430 in seven events this year, including a victory at The American Express, where he earned $1.656 million.

But Scheffler’s success is not limited to the course. Just days after the Masters, the golfer was named one of TIME magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2026. “I prefer to be a positive influence rather than a negative one,” Scheffler confessed to the Golf Channel. “I dreamed of being a professional golfer and I was lucky enough to achieve that, but in the end, as I said at last year’s Open, that’s not what fulfills me. If I can be a positive influence in someone’s life, that for me is fantastic.”

Meanwhile, the American remains in great form, sitting in second place at 14 under par at the RBC Heritage, poised to tackle the final round with hopes of victory. Scheffler proves that, both on and off the course, he is playing to win – even if part of his prize money will disappear to taxes!

This article first appeared on Apito Final.