PGA Tour Suffers a Major Setback as a Scottie Scheffler Disappointment Hits the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship

Just a couple of weeks ago, Scottie Scheffler’s good friend J.T. Poston said, “Can we get some paternity leave for this guy?” While it may seem like Scheffler must’ve thought, ‘Your wish is my command,’ considering his absence at the Wells Fargo Championship, it was something he’d made up his mind about long ago.

The birth of Scheffler’s first child has been a topic of discussion during every press conference he’s attended recently. With the baby’s due date estimated to be at the end of April, the Masters champion was committed to every tournament up until the RBC Heritage. He’d said,

“Up until when the baby comes, I’m going to play this week and then I’ll go home and basically just wait.” Well, with Scottie and Meredith still awaiting their baby, that’s precisely what he’s doing as the sixth signature event on the 2024 PGA Tour calendar commences.

Set to kick off on May 9 at Quail Hollow Golf & Country Club, the Wells Fargo Championship will witness many top athletes duking it out for the title of champion and a cut of the elevated $20 million. As the most versatile golfer of the current season, as well as one of the most popular, Scheffler’s absence may be good for his usual competitors – as Poston said, “Take some time off. Give the rest of us a shot.”

So far this season, Scheffler leads the list in the total number of wins, with four victories in his last five starts. He boasts the most top-10 finishes among the PGA Tour Pros as well – 9 of them, including the 4 wins. Moreover, the American Pro also dominates the others when it comes to his scoring average, with figures of 67.46. But that’s not all. Here are the other aspects where he’s well ahead of his fellow PGA Tour Pros: –

Such figures to his name, coupled with the fact that Scottie Scheffler is currently staying away from the Wells Fargo Championship, would cause the circuit to suffer. Although it would create an opportunity for other professionals to have a run at the trophy, it might, in turn, lead to low turnout when it comes to TV ratings or viewership numbers, not to mention the talented golfers that the community will be missing. It could do more harm than good. Here’s why.

With their star player missing, the PGA Tour could be in for a rough few days. TV ratings haven’t been the PGA Tour’s friends this year. Overall, it’s seen a 20% drop in viewership across the board, something Rory McIlroy has called “pretty jarring.” At the end of the day, people tune in to watch a good game of golf. And right now, few others can deliver that as consistently as Scottie Scheffler can. However, the case can also be made that his absence may, in fact, help numbers. Interestingly, only one tournament on the PGA Tour this season has seen a year-to-year increase in viewership. Which was it? 

The American Express – the only event in 2024 where Scottie Scheffler finished outside the Top 10. While the fight between the PGA Tour and LIV Golf adds to these rating woes, one could argue that it’s been Scheffler’s sheer dominance. Maybe watching an amateur like Nick Dunlap carve his name in history was what the PGA Tour needed to improve its numbers. Or perhaps it’s, in fact, Scheffler who helps sustain numbers. The Wells Fargo Championship will likely clear that up.

Scottie Scheffler’s prowess is undeniable, though. Thanks to his performance in the past few years, he’s cemented his spot as the top golfer on the OWGR with a total point tally of 676.73344. And now that he’s not in North Carolina, his fans can’t help but wonder whether he will participate in the second major of the season, the 2024 PGA Championship.

Is Scottie Scheffler playing at the 2024 PGA Championship?

The American pro is set to participate in the upcoming major championship as per the field list made public on Tuesday, May 7. However, if his wife, Meredith Scheffler, hasn’t given birth by then and delivers the baby during the event, then there is a high chance of him leaving Valhalla to attend his child’s birth. The pro had declared the same back when he was at Augusta, mentioning his readiness “to go at a moment’s notice” after the first round.

Even so, the athlete will try to dish out his best when on the course. Especially considering he keeps furnishing his skills even when away from professional golf. As per a report from Golf Channel’s Brentley Romine, Scottie Scheffler “was keeping his game sharp Thursday at Maridoe GC in Carrollton, Texas,” while playing a round of golf with CBS Sports analyst Tony Romo. Well, it seems it will probably prove to be extra hard for the other golfers to push past the PGA Tour Pro despite him being on a break!