It’s not new for the golf world to embark on a never-ending debate about Scottie Scheffler and Tiger Woods. To many, Woods has set an unprecedented record, and Scheffler, as a young modern golfer, is on a path to match that. To others, that’s a comparison too high in the sky to ever be matched. Although if now #1 can ever surpass the former #1 in any aspect, that is the green notes. In both their journeys, their caddies have played an integral role. So, it brings us to who has earned more? Scottie’s present looper or Woods’s former long-term one?

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The Steve Williams era

To begin with, there is no official specific record of caddie earnings. So all this data will be based on the breakdown of golfers’ results. From 1999 to 2011, Williams had a full-time golf ‘relationship’ with Tiger Woods. That was the time the golf world saw the “Tiger Slam” unfold before their eyes. Back-to-back majors were recorded on Woods’ CV. Of the 15 he has won in his career, 13 of them came with Steve Williams on his side.

With these staggering results came whopping checks, too. Woods earned $88.3 million in official PGA Tour prize money across those years. Now, following the caddie’s share of 10-7-5, Williams’ cut amounts to roughly $8 million from prize money alone. In fact, during Woods’ peak, Williams was described in New Zealand media as the highest-paid sportsperson in the entire country.

But that is a very conservative view.

Many publications, like Golf Monthly and Business Insider, include the entirety of the Tiger-era payout. That includes the bonuses, base salary, and the many perks (like Woods gifting Steve Williams cars). Once you factor it all in, it stands roughly at $12 million. But that again reflects only a single era of Steve Williams.

Sure, Williams found intense fame after caddying for Tiger Woods. But before Woods, he was already a top-tier looper. He had already worked for Greg Norman and Raymond Floyd through the 1980s and 1990s. During that time, too, he collected a significant amount.

Then comes Adam Scott, another long run for Steve Williams. With the looper on his side, Scott won his 2013 Masters. From 2011-2017, the two remained together, and Scott had approximately $21.5 million collected. After him, Williams caddied for Jason Day from 2019.  So, a rough estimate for Williams from these golfers’ share would be somewhere around $3-$4 million.

Today, his net worth is widely estimated at $20 million. Still, his total and exact lifetime earnings are impossible to itemize. But his career has certainly seen a safety haul with high eight figures. For decades, he was the mountain no caddie could realistically climb.

Then Scottie Scheffler happened.

Ted Scott: A new reality?

Like Steve Williams, Ted Scott was a respected and well-paid caddie before he met Scottie Scheffler. His 15-year partnership with Bubba Watson is significant. The duo saw two Masters wins (2012 and 2014) and 12 PGA Tour titles in total. During that time, Watson generated roughly $26 million, and that places Scott easily in a seven-figure career territory (somewhere around $1.5 -$2 M).

But that was before his second act began.

After 2021, Scott stepped away from touring. From there on, he intended to teach and reset his life, away from the grind. But then he got a call from Scheffler. That decision to caddie made him see the record-breaking prize-money accumulation in golf history. And with that accumulation, he, too, got a lucky share in it.

As per Business Insider, in 2023, Scott likely earned over $1.8 million. That set the single-season record at the time. From next onwards, these numbers only got wilder. As per multiple outlets like Golf Monthly and Last Word on Sports, Scott’s estimated earning in 2024 sits somewhere around $5.3 – $5.4 million.

This year, Scheffler recorded 6 wins (including two majors) and took home a whopping $27.65 million. He also had eleven top-10 finishes, including a solo fourth at the Masters and a T7 at the US Open. For Scott, that roughly translates to $694K. Then comes his base salary of $135K, reportedly. All in all, Scott credit $1.69 million in his account.

The bottom line – who’s ahead today?

The question of who has earned more overall favors Steve Williams. And there can hardly be any doubts about that. His million-dollar stint with Tiger Woods and his respectable caddying with Norman, Floyd, and Scott over four decades have given him a lifetime edge.

But that does not mean Ted Scott is far behind. His $5.3 million in 2024 is the single greatest caddie season ever recorded. Williams has never come close to that annual figure. Part reason is that back at that time, the pay didn’t match today’s level.

So yes, as of late 2025, Steve Williams remains ahead in lifetime career income. But Ted Scott is closing fast and is expected to overtake him before the decade ends, that is, if he remains with Scottie and the golfer continues playing at the pace at which he is currently moving.

In golf’s changing economy, the old king still holds the throne. The new one, though, is climbing the stairs two at a time.