Scottie Scheffler delays PGA Tour comeback with worrying statement
World No.1 Scottie Scheffler has confirmed he has decided not to play at The American Express at the end of the month.
Scottie Scheffler says he will miss his second PGA Tour event of the season.
Scheffler confirmed on 6 January that after consulting his medical team he felt it was best to give his hand more time to heal.
The runaway World No.1 confirmed over Christmas that he was expected to miss the first two weeks of the 2025 campaign after suffering a puncture wound to his palm.
The unfortunate incident occurred when he was serving dinner to his family and the reigning Masters champion needed surgery.
Said procedure saw shards of glass removed from the golfer's right palm and it forced him to skip the two events in Hawaii.
Scheffler missed out in competing in The Sentry, which was won by Hideki Matsuyama with a record low score, and this week's Sony Open.
The 28-year-old has now confirmed that he won't be in the field for The American Express over 16-19 January.
"After consulting with my medical team, I have made the decision to withdraw from next week's American Express to give my injury more time to heal," Scheffler wrote in a statement published on his social media channels.
It means the PGA Tour star won't begin his season until the signature AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am at the earliest.
The news is particularly concerning, given hand and wrist injuries are notoriously difficult injuries for professional golfers to deal with.
Scheffler is not the only high-profile golfer currently injured.
Fellow American Jordan Spieth had surgery on his wrist at the conclusion of last season and has not revealed when he will be back in action.
Viktor Hovland also broke his toe in his hotel room before The Sentry but decided to play anyway.
Scheffler is not involved in the new golf league, TGL, which is spearheaded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.
Scheffler was recently named the PGA Tour's player of the year for a third consecutive season.
He won nine times in 2024, with seven coming on the PGA Tour. He triumphed at The Masters and also won the coveted Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass.
Scheffler also earned an Olympic gold medal in Paris and won the Tour Championship, which secured a first FedEx Cup title in an eventful season that also saw him arrested before the second round of the PGA Championship.
Charges against Scheffler were dropped.
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