World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler has been out since Christmas after slicing his hand open while preparing food, but he is closing in on a return to action on the PGA Tour
Scottie Scheffler enjoyed a bumper 2024 as he won seven events including at the Players Championship, the Masters and the Olympic Games(Image: Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images for The Showdown)
Scottie Scheffler is on the road to recovery after a bizarre accident on Christmas Day that necessitated surgery. The 28-year-old has been sidelined since the incident, which occurred while he was preparing Christmas dinner and resulted in a cut to his right hand.
Although Scheffler was scheduled to return at The American Express last week, he withdrew to focus on his recuperation. “On Christmas Day while preparing dinner, Scottie sustained a puncture wound to the palm of his right hand from a broken glass. Small glass fragments remained in the palm which required surgery,” revealed Scheffler’s manager Blake Smith in a statement last month.
“He has been told that he should be back to 100 percent in three to four weeks. Unfortunately, he will have to withdraw from The Sentry.”
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However, it appears Scheffler will soon be back in action. His strength and conditioning coach Dr. Troy Van Biezen shared a video on Sunday of the two-time Masters champion working out intensively in the gym, preparing for his golf course comeback.
“Trust the process. Celebrate the progress,” read the caption. Scheffler hasn’t played since winning the Hero World Challenge in The Bahamas on December 8, and he won’t be participating in The Farmers Insurance Open which begins at Torrey Pines in California on Thursday.
However, it seems likely that Scheffler will make his return at the ATandT Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Jan. 30. The PGA Tour season’s second signature event, with a whopping $20million (£16million) purse on the line, is expected to draw a star-studded field at Pebble Beach. Scheffler will be hoping that his kitchen mishap won’t put a damper on his remarkable form over the past year.
Scottie Scheffler has been back in the gym after hand surgery(Image: Dr. Troy Van Biezen DC/Instagram)
In 2024, Scheffler bagged nine victories, including a second green jacket, an Olympic gold medal, and his first FedEx Cup title. However, Scheffler isn’t the only big name missing from the PGA Tour in recent weeks.
World No. 2 Xander Schauffele withdrew from The American Express just days before it was set to kick off. His team cited “medical issues,” as the reason for his withdrawal from the Farmers, and he will also not be teeing up for New York Golf Club in Tuesday’s TGL matchup against Atlanta Drive. Two-time major champion Collin Morikawa will also be absent from the field at Torrey Pines.
Despite being a regular fixture in the California native’s schedule, he has pulled out ahead of Thursday’s opening round – with no explanation yet provided for his absence.