Being an athlete isn’t just a walk in the park. It takes relentless consistency to rise to the top. And even when you finally reach your goals, the grind never stops. Injuries and challenges seem to have a way of creeping in, and off-court mishaps could even pause one’s growing career. Take Scottie Scheffler, for instance. The world number 1 and 2024 FedEx Cup Champion recently made headlines as he announced his withdrawal from the 2025 PGA Tour’s season-opening tournaments.

The 28-year-old was in the midst of enjoying his off-season Christmas festivities when the mishap struck in their kitchen. According to his manager, Blake Smith, Scheffler suffered a puncture wound to the palm of his right hand from broken glass while preparing dinner.

It seems a few stubborn glass fragments refused to leave, which required surgery. The good news? Scottie Scheffler has been told he should be back to 100 percent in about three to four weeks. But sadly, he will have to miss out on The Sentry, the first event of the 2025 season.

Now, if you thought it was just Scheffler facing the injury, we are here to break the ice! The 2022 Hero World Challenge Winner, Viktor Hovland, also found himself on the unfortunate list. The six-time PGA Tour winner shared on Instagram a picture of what looked like a broken pinky toe. Hovland captioned the post as “Bed frame 1 – 0 me.” 

Interestingly, PGA Tour pro, Collin Morikawa, weighed in on Hovland’s post with a touch of humor, saying, “I’m wrapping myself in some bubble wrap on the way to Hawaii.” And honestly, one can’t say he is wrong. The Sentry is the first event of the 2025 season and offers a massive opportunity for PGA Tour players to oil their engines.

What will Scheffler and Hovland lose not being at the Sentry?

The very first event of the next season is set to take place from January 2-5 at the Plantation course in Kapalua. This year marks the third consecutive time that The Sentry will feature an expanded field of 60. Among the participants, we’re looking at a solid lineup that includes 31 PGA Tour winners from 2024, along with 29 players who earned their spots through the FEC standings. Interestingly, Viktor Hovland’s name was also there on the list, even after his Instagram post declaring his broken toe.

The event has a total of $20 million purse on the line and $3.6 million awaiting the winner, but unfortunately, Scottie Scheffler is not the one winning this time. Will it be the 2X major champion, Collin Morikawa, who is being super careful after his fellow PGA Tour players get injured, or Chris Kirk, the defending champion? Apart from them, we will also see Max Homa playing, who smashed the PGA Tour record with an insane 477-yard drive.

Who do you think has the best shot at taking home the title this year? Drop your thoughts in the comments below!