We are less than a week away from the very first event of the 2025 season, and two players have already declared their withdrawal. First, it was the six-time PGA Tour winner, Viktor Hovland, revealing about his broken toe through an Instagram post. Now, we have another prominent golfer undergoing surgery. It’s none other than the world no. 1, Scottie Scheffler.

It happened when the 2024 FedEx champion was enjoying his off-season Christmas celebrations and an unfortunate incident occurred in his kitchen. Scheffler “sustained a puncture wound to the palm of his right hand from a broken glass,” leading the family to run to the hospital for surgery. Because of this, the PGA Tour confirmed on December 28th that Scheffler won’t be participating in the first few tournaments of the 2025 season.

Unfortunately, it also means he’ll miss the much-anticipated season opener, The Sentry. Scottie Scheffler’s manager, Blake Smith further shared that Scheffler will only be able to play post-recovery, most probably at the American Express tournament, set to take place from January 16-19 in California.

The #1’s sudden exit has also created an empty spot in the Sentry Tournament of Champions. Shockingly, if you were hoping for a replacement golfer, it seems that’s not on the table for the event on January 2nd. Why so? Well, typically, if a golfer withdraws before the tournament starts, the field might adjust. However, for the Sentry Tournament of Champions, which features winners from the previous PGA Tour season, replacements aren’t made since it’s a limited and exclusive field.

The 60-player field is set to move forward with only 59 participants, leaving one spot empty. Alongside Scottie Scheffler, who has withdrawn, there is uncertainty surrounding Viktor Hovland’s presence as well. It remains unclear whether he will ultimately decide to participate after his fractured toe. The rest of the field will be comprised of all the tournament winners from 2024, as well as the top 50 players from the previous season’s FedExCup standings.

A look back at Scottie Scheffler’s most prominent 2024 season wins

Scheffler’s exit comes into this event after an incredible year, having won nine times globally, including seven prestigious titles on the PGA TOUR. The PGA Tour pro won for a second time at both the Masters and THE PLAYERS this year and even earned an Olympic gold medal. Not only this, he finished his 2024 season with a victory at the LIV Golf vs. PGA Tour showdown, clinching his first FedEx Cup.

Additionally, he also notched four Signature Events under his belt, the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, RBC Heritage, the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday, and the Travelers Championship.

Scheffler is the first player since the legendary Tiger Woods to win seven or more tournaments in a single season, achieving this in 2024. He also became the second player to win the Hero World Challenge back-to-back after Woods and Viktor Hovland in 2021-2022.