Scotty Scheffler won’t be playing in this week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open after all.
But the reason for his late exit at Memorial Park was for a great reason.
Scheffler withdrew from the Houston Open, the final stop on the PGA Tour before the Masters, on Tuesday morning due to the impending birth of his second child, Golf Channel reported. Scheffler was then replaced 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, although during that tournament he was arrested following an incident outside the course in Louisville, Kentucky. He still finished tied for 8th that week.
While the timing of his exit isn’t great from a golf perspective — the two-time Masters champion is heading to Augusta National in two weeks for his first major of the year — Scheffler is still in incredible shape throughout golf. He kicked off his season by winning the American Express in late January and posted two top-five finishes in the next two events. While Scheffler has had some trouble making the cut recently, something he hasn’t done since August 2022, Scheffler hasn’t finished worse than a tie for 24th this season.
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It’s unclear whether Scheffler will attempt to play in next week’s Valero Texas Open or jump directly to the Masters.
But as far as reasons for the world’s number one golfer missing the tournament, this has to be the most important.
Scheffler was the most popular player in Houston before he had to withdraw. Defending champion Min Woo Lee is the new betting favorite, ranked at +1200 on BetMGM, with Chris Gotterup, Jake Knapp and Brooks Koepka not far behind.
