Scottie Scheffler won’t be competing at the Texas Children’s Houston Open this week after all.
But the reason for his late withdrawal at Memorial Park is a great one.
Scheffler withdrew from the Houston Open, one of the last stops on the PGA Tour before the Masters, on Tuesday morning due to the imminent birth of his second child, according to the Golf Channel. Scheffler was then replaced in the field by Matt Kuchar.
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Scheffler and his wife, Meredith, welcomed their first son, Bennett, in May, 2024. Scheffler played in the PGA Championship the following week, though that was the tournament where he was arrested after an incident outside of the course in Louisville, Kentucky. He still finished T8 that week.
While the timing of his withdraw isn’t great from a golf standpoint — the two-time Masters winner will head to Augusta National in two weeks for the first major championship of the year — Scheffler is still in the midst of an incredible run throughout golf. He won The American Express to kick off his season in late January, and he rattled off two top-five finishes in his next two starts. While he has struggled a bit to make the cut recently, something he’s not done since August 2022, Scheffler hasn’t finished worse than T24 this season.
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It’s unclear if Scheffler will attempt to play next week at the Valero Texas Open, or rather just skip ahead to the Masters.
But, as far as reasons for the top-ranked golfer in the world to miss a tournament, this has to be at the top of the list.
Scheffler was the massive favorite in Houston before he had to pull out. Defending champion Min Woo Lee is the new betting favorite, listed at +1200 on BetMGM, while Chris Gotterup, Jake Knapp and Brooks Koepka trail close behind.
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